Tag: Julianna Pena

Amanda Nunes Reacts To UFC 307, Peña Callout With ‘Call Me’ Plea To Dana White

It would appear that what went down at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City has further spurred the comeback fire underneath former two-division champion Amanda Nunes. Having hinted at a return from retirement earlier this year, two matchups appeared of interest to the Brazilian at this past weekend’s pay-per-view. Before her former opponents Raquel Pennington […]

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It would appear that what went down at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City has further spurred the comeback fire underneath former two-division champion Amanda Nunes.

Having hinted at a return from retirement earlier this year, two matchups appeared of interest to the Brazilian at this past weekend’s pay-per-view. Before her former opponents Raquel Pennington and Julianna Peña collided for the title she vacated last year, ex-teammate Kayla Harrison had her second UFC outing.

Following the two-time Olympic gold medalist’s Octagon debut in April, Nunes questioned why she hadn’t been called out. While her name remained absent from Harrison’s lips at UFC 307, the same can’t be said for “The Venezuelan Vixen.”

After regaining the 135-pound title in the co-main event, Peña made good on her promise to address Nunes inside the Octagon, believing her to be far from done as an active fighter.

Whether it was that callout or Harrison’s performance earlier in the night, somebody seemingly got the Brazilian legend’s attention…

Did UFC 307 Awaken ‘The Lioness?’ Nunes Requests Call From The Boss

While Nunes remained silent in the immediate aftermath of Peña’s title win and subsequent callout, she emerged on social media this week with a message for UFC CEO Dana White.

MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz, a Brazilian journalist, provided context behind her Instagram video video, noting that Nunes was singing along to “Outdoor,” a song created by Brazilian samba group Só Pra Contrariar.

The original lyrics include, “Oh please call,” and, “I Miss you so much.” Nunes is said to have altered the lyrics to, “Call me, please.”

If Nunes does officially commit to a return, it remains unclear whether her goal will be regaining the title, settling the score with Peña, or having a long-awaited showdown with former teammate Harrison.

Regardless, should predictions of “The Lioness” meeting the winner of the expected Peña vs. Harrison clash come to fruition, she’ll have the chance to kill two of those birds with one stone.

Continue Reading Amanda Nunes Reacts To UFC 307, Peña Callout With ‘Call Me’ Plea To Dana White at MMA News.

Julianna Peña Slams Champ Raquel Pennington’s Promotional Efforts: ‘She Said No To Embedded!’

UFC women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Peña continues to be unimpressed by Raquel Pennington’s efforts as champion. Nine months on from winning the vacant belt at the expense of Mayra Bueno Silva in Canada, Pennington will return for her first title defense in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 307 pay-per-view. Opposite “Rocky” in Salt Lake […]

Continue Reading Julianna Peña Slams Champ Raquel Pennington’s Promotional Efforts: ‘She Said No To Embedded!’ at MMA News.

UFC women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Peña continues to be unimpressed by Raquel Pennington’s efforts as champion.

Nine months on from winning the vacant belt at the expense of Mayra Bueno Silva in Canada, Pennington will return for her first title defense in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 307 pay-per-view.

Opposite “Rocky” in Salt Lake City, Utah will be a familiar face in the form of Peña, whom she featured with on the cast of The Ultimate Fighter 18 in 2013.

Animosity exists between the pair dating back to the show, and that’s led to plenty of back and forth in the lead-up to their collision inside the Octagon at the Delta Center this weekend.

Peña: Pennington Not A ‘Good Representation’ Of The Division

During her appearance at UFC 307 media day on Wednesday, Peña assessed how Pennington has fit into the role of champion following her crowning in Toronto this past January.

The former bantamweight queen unsurprisingly had a critical take, taking aim at Pennington’s failure to promote herself and their fight adequately.

“Raquel has not been a good representation of the women’s bantamweight division,” Peña said. “She has not promoted. She has said no to Embedded. She has constantly done everything that she can to avoid being the face of women’s MMA and not being that big face who wants to promote and be that big representation of women’s MMA.

“That, to me, is you’re showing me nothing, but you’re telling me everything by not being that person that is letting everyone know that you’re fighting,” Peña continued. “I want to be that person. That’s my role, and I can do it better, and that’s why I believe I am going to be able to seal the deal on Saturday night and get that gold again.”

While Peña is hoping and evidently expecting to invigorate the division with a second reign, one which she hopes draws Amanda Nunes back from retirement to complete their trilogy, Pennington no doubt has other plans.

And should “Rocky” have her hand raised in the “Beehive State,” she’d have achieved a feat that “The Venezuelan Vixen” failed when she held the gold — recording a successful title defense.

Continue Reading Julianna Peña Slams Champ Raquel Pennington’s Promotional Efforts: ‘She Said No To Embedded!’ at MMA News.

Julianna Peña Gives Defiant Reaction To Underdog Status At UFC 307

Given her history of upsetting the odds, former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña is welcoming the underdog status attached to her this week. For the third straight fight in her career, gold will be on the line when Peña makes the walk at Saturday’s UFC 307 pay-per-view, set for the Delta Center in Salt […]

Continue Reading Julianna Peña Gives Defiant Reaction To Underdog Status At UFC 307 at MMA News.

Given her history of upsetting the odds, former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña is welcoming the underdog status attached to her this week.

For the third straight fight in her career, gold will be on the line when Peña makes the walk at Saturday’s UFC 307 pay-per-view, set for the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“The Venezuelan Vixen” is set to co-headline the event in competition for Raquel Pennington’s 135-pound title. Peña previously won the belt and subsequently lost it in a two-fight series with Amanda Nunes.

Having not competed since her rematch with the “Lioness” in June 2022, the former champ is being counted out by some. That’s reflected in the odds, with her line currently at +136 on DraftKings.

But Peña has absolutely no qualms about entering her title challenge as the underdog…

Peña Doesn’t Feel Like The Underdog At UFC 307

During a recent interview with Kevin Iole, Peña looked ahead to her first outing in over two years and chance to regain the title at 135 pounds.

While Pennington is favored to retain possession of the championship by the oddsmakers, “The Venezuelan Vixen” is more than ready to prove her doubters wrong — again.

“It doesn’t (surprise me). I think I was an 11-1 underdog at one point when I was fighting Amanda,” Peña said. “If you go back to the majority of my fights, I am always the underdog. In fact, right off the top of my head, I can’t even think of a time when I was the favorite.

“It’s just kind of like, I am that underdog role. I always have been,” Peña continued. “At the end of the day, it’s what I believe in my heart. I don’t feel like I’m the underdog. I’m very confident in what I am able to do. So you can call me an underdog, you can call me a favorite, you can call me whatever you want. Just remember that I am Julianna Peña, and I’m going to go in there and get my hand raised at any and all cost.”

While it wouldn’t mark the kind of shock win she achieved back in December 2021, Peña will be hoping to upset the odds once again en route to the women’s bantamweight throne this weekend.

Continue Reading Julianna Peña Gives Defiant Reaction To Underdog Status At UFC 307 at MMA News.

UFC 307: Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream

UFC 307 takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins! The upcoming pay-per-view event at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah provides a chance for UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira to further enhance his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage. […]

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UFC 307 takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins!

The upcoming pay-per-view event at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah provides a chance for UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira to further enhance his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

After capturing the gold in November 2023 and withstanding challenges from Jamahal Hill and Ji?í Procházka this year, “Poatan” is next tasked with stalling the championship ambitions of Khalil Rountree to continue his reign atop the 205-pound mountain.

Title stakes will also be present for the co-main event, which will see Raquel Pennington make her first defense of the bantamweight belt opposite returning ex-divisional queen Julianna Peña.

Elsewhere on the UFC 307 card, the legendary José Aldo looks to continue his pursuit of a late-career title shot after a successful return from retirement this past May, Kayla Harrison makes her second Octagon outing, the always entertaining Kevin Holland shoots for the middleweight top 10, and former two-time strawweight queen Carla Esparza enters the cage for the final time.

Ahead of the event, all 24 fighters successfully made weight. With that, every fight has remained intact, and all that remains on Friday night is for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC 307 ceremonial weigh-ins!

Check out a live stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, commencing at 6 p.m. ET.

UFC 307 Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream

Continue Reading UFC 307: Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream at MMA News.

Kayla Harrison On How Julianna Peña Reached The Top In UFC: ‘Pretty, Tough As Nails, & Got A Big Mouth’

UFC women’s bantamweight contender Kayla Harrison doesn’t believe Julianna Peña’s rise has been down to fighting ability. Both women are in pursuit of the 135-pound belt, and it’ll be Peña who first gets a crack at two-time status before the ex-PFL champion gets the chance to realize her title ambitions on mixed martial arts’ biggest […]

Continue Reading Kayla Harrison On How Julianna Peña Reached The Top In UFC: ‘Pretty, Tough As Nails, & Got A Big Mouth’ at MMA News.

UFC women’s bantamweight contender Kayla Harrison doesn’t believe Julianna Peña’s rise has been down to fighting ability.

Both women are in pursuit of the 135-pound belt, and it’ll be Peña who first gets a crack at two-time status before the ex-PFL champion gets the chance to realize her title ambitions on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

“The Venezuelan Vixen,” who hasn’t competed since losing the gold to Amanda Nunes in their immediate 2022 rematch, is set to challenge newly crowned bantamweight queen Raquel Pennington in the co-main event of UFC 307 early next month.

Also in action on the pay-per-view lineup in Salt Lake City will be Harrison, who is tasked with following her successful UFC debut opposite Holly Holm with a triumph over the #2-ranked Ketlen Vieira.

The decision to grant the ex-titleholder a shot in her comeback fight over Harrison caused debate in the MMA community. And when it comes to the position Peña finds herself in, Harrison thinks the reasons are unrelated to talent.

Harrison Theorizes On ‘Annoying’ Peña’s Position

During a recent interview with InsideFighting, Harrison touched on her growing and evidently bitter feud with Peña, which peaked when the former UFC champ accused the two-time Olympic gold medalist of PED use.

“She’s annoying,” Harrison said. “I mean, she’s just low class. To me — I don’t know. I think it’s pathetic and it’s low class. She’s just looking for a built-in excuse for when I whoop her ass.”

Harrison then addressed to what extent she believes Peña’s often brash and vocal nature has paved the way for her success on MMA’s biggest stage, her tenure on which began with victory on The Ultimate Fighter way back in 2013.

“No,” Harrison responded when asked if Peña would be in her current position without utilizing trash talk. “I think Juliana’s pretty, I think she’s tough as nails, and I think she’s got a big mouth. Sometimes that’s all you need to get to a certain point.

“But eventually, you run into a bigger, badder dog than you who might have a bigger mouth than you,” Harrison warned. “So keep f*cking running it.”

Before the pair get the chance to settle their beef inside the Octagon, both will have to emerge victorious from UFC 307 on October 5. In doing so, Peña will look to answer Harrison’s claim by letting her fighting do the talking once the cage door closes behind her and Pennington.

Continue Reading Kayla Harrison On How Julianna Peña Reached The Top In UFC: ‘Pretty, Tough As Nails, & Got A Big Mouth’ at MMA News.

Julianna Peña Makes Last-Ditch Call For Amanda Nunes Trilogy

Julianna Peña is still making a push for a trilogy fight with Amanda Nunes. Peña was able to do the unthinkable in defeating Nunes at UFC 269 by scoring a submission win over the champ-champ to capture the bantamweight strap. Immediately the two were b…

Julianna Peña is still making a push for a trilogy fight with Amanda Nunes. Peña was able to do the unthinkable in defeating Nunes at UFC 269 by scoring a submission win over the champ-champ to capture the bantamweight strap. Immediately the two were booked for a season of coaching TUF, which led to a…

Continue Reading Julianna Peña Makes Last-Ditch Call For Amanda Nunes Trilogy at MMA News.