Tag: Julianna Pena

Peña Weighs In On Judges “Playing God” With Fighters’ Lives

Julianna Peña has managed to avoid scoring controversies during her own UFC career, but the 32-year-old can’t help but weigh-in when she sees the issue affect her division. The UFC’s bantamweight queen was recently asked for her opinion on the result of a bantamweight fight between Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira, as well as her…

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Julianna Peña has managed to avoid scoring controversies during her own UFC career, but the 32-year-old can’t help but weigh-in when she sees the issue affect her division.

The UFC’s bantamweight queen was recently asked for her opinion on the result of a bantamweight fight between Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira, as well as her thoughts on the current open scoring debate.

“So, I unfortunately didn’t watch that fight and I still haven’t watched it,” Peña told MMA Mania. “I kind of just relied on my coaches to tell me who they thought truly won. And I will say I don’t know if I’m a fan of open scoring yet, or I don’t know if it’s like actually amazing. I just think it’s gotta be some added pressure when you see that you lost the round and it’s kinda gotta light a fire under your butt, you know? And make you get going, so maybe the fights will be more exciting. I don’t know if that’s the whole reason behind it.”

Ketlen Vieira beat Holly Holm via controversial split decision in May. (Zuffa LLC)

“The Venezuelan Vixen” didn’t need to worry about the judges when she submitted Amanda Nunes to claim the women’s bantamweight belt at UFC 269, but Peña is sympathetic regarding the amount of responsibility that’s placed on anyone charged with scoring a fight.

“To be quite honest, the judges can’t seem to get it right anyhow regardless whether it’s open scoring or not open scoring. It’s a hard job, I totally sympathize with them on that because you know it is a difficult – it’s almost like you’re playing god in there and you have control of other people’s lives. So it’s a really big ask for them to get it right every time.”

Peña is set to headline UFC 277 in July against Amanda Nunes. That fight will be an immediate rematch of their previous bout and serve as Peña’s first defense of the women’s bantamweight title.

What do you think of Peña’s comments about recent scoring controversies and the difficulty of being a judge?

Continue Reading Peña Weighs In On Judges “Playing God” With Fighters’ Lives at MMA News.

Peña: I’ve Never Used Injuries As Excuses Like Nunes Did Post-UFC 269

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña has rejected rival Amanda Nunes’ claim that a knee injury played a part in the result of their UFC 269 fight. At the final pay-per-view of 2021, Peña unseated Nunes from the 135-pound throne, which she’d occupied since a 2016 victory over Miesha Tate and maintained through the challenges…

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UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña has rejected rival Amanda Nunes’ claim that a knee injury played a part in the result of their UFC 269 fight.

At the final pay-per-view of 2021, Peña unseated Nunes from the 135-pound throne, which she’d occupied since a 2016 victory over Miesha Tate and maintained through the challenges of Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, Raquel Pennington, Holly Holm, and Germaine de Randamie.

While most had expected the “Lioness” to add Peña’s name to her lengthy list of fallen challengers, “The Venezuelan Vixen” had other plans, and ones that led to a second-round submission triumph in Las Vegas last December.

The result, which is widely regarded as one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, led to much discussion about its cause. While some gave the new champ the credit she deserved for the performance, others suggested that her crowning was more down to Nunes’ shortcomings.

And while she initially appeared gracious in defeat, Nunes later attempted to support the latter claim, revealing that she’d entered her sixth bantamweight defense underprepared and carrying a knee injury.

But Peña, who knows a thing or two about knee issues having suffered damage to her ACL, MCL, LCL, and meniscus throughout her career, isn’t buying it.

During an interview with KREM, a publication based out of her hometown, Spokane native Peña noted that she never put any of her defeats down to her knee troubles. Nevertheless, she acknowledged Nunes’ need to motivate herself, which Peña believes the Brazilian is choosing to do by downplaying the legitimacy of their first result.

“I’ve had two knee surgeries, one on each knee. And I’ve never used me getting choked unconscious (on saying), like, ‘Oh, it was because of my knees,’ you know what I mean?” Peña said with a laugh. “So you gotta say whatever you can to motivate yourself, and to pump yourself up, and to sleep at night so that you can say, ‘Yes, it was my knees, and next time I’m gonna get it done.’

“So you gotta say whatever you gotta say, and I understand that,” added Peña.

Following the culmination of this year’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter, Peña and Nunes are set to run it back. When the pair collide in the UFC 277 headliner in Dallas, “The Venezuelan Vixen” will look to deliver another blow to her detractors, many of whom still regard her crowning as a fluke.

On the other side, Nunes will be looking to reclaim the title and her status as champ-champ. Despite her defeat last time out, the “Lioness” is currently the favorite just over a month out from the rematch.

We’ll find out whether Peña is being wrongly counted out again on July 30.

What do you make of Julianna Peña’s take on Amanda Nunes’ post-fight injury claims?

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Julianna Peña Is Holding A Contest To Win UFC 277 Cageside Seats

Julianna Peña will offer a unique opportunity to one lucky fan. The UFC bantamweight championship belt is sitting around the waist of Julianna Peña, and she is using her champ status to make some fans’ lucky day. Peña will be defending her title against Amanda Nunes in July at UFC 277 and is holding a…

Continue Reading Julianna Peña Is Holding A Contest To Win UFC 277 Cageside Seats at MMA News.

Julianna Peña will offer a unique opportunity to one lucky fan.

The UFC bantamweight championship belt is sitting around the waist of Julianna Peña, and she is using her champ status to make some fans’ lucky day. Peña will be defending her title against Amanda Nunes in July at UFC 277 and is holding a contest to join her there.

“CHALLENGE TIME: Drop your best memes, gifs, or promos to hype the fight,” Peña wrote. “The top 3 favorites win a Corner-side NFT and a chance to sit cage side when I defend my title.”

Peña will be giving away a chance to sit cageside and watch her fight at UFC 277. She will also be giving away an NFT to the best three responses to “hype the fight” on social media. She has been pretty active on social media since winning the belt and thinks she has unique a way to win fans.

This will be the first title defense for Peña. She shocked many when she defeated Nunes back at UFC 269 in December. Due to Nunes’ dominant title run, it isn’t a surprise that she is getting an immediate rematch.

Nunes was the bantamweight champion for five years. During that time, she also held the UFC featherweight title, which she is still holding.

There have been some shakeups since the last time Peña and Nunes met. Nunes has changed gyms and left her longtime home of American Top Team, also both fighters spent time coaching on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Will you be entering the contest to join Julianna Peña at UFC 277?

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Peña: “I Don’t Have To Take My Clothes Off To Get People Invested”

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña believes that she’s marketed herself in a way that doesn’t require “half-naked” posts on Instagram. In recent times, a number of prominent names in mixed martial arts have turned to exclusive content pages, whether through modeling aspirations or a simple income boost to go along with their fighting careers….

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UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña believes that she’s marketed herself in a way that doesn’t require “half-naked” posts on Instagram.

In recent times, a number of prominent names in mixed martial arts have turned to exclusive content pages, whether through modeling aspirations or a simple income boost to go along with their fighting careers.

While women’s strawweight Kay Hansen, who exited the UFC following her latest loss at UFC 273, sells explicit images on the OnlyFans platform, former mixed martial artist-turned-bare-knuckle boxer and professional wrestler Paige VanZant offers similar content on her own exclusive site.

But Peña, who reached the top in the UFC with a championship-winning victory over Amanda Nunes last December, does things differently and, as she recently described it, in a “classy way.”

During an appearance on Barstool Chicago’s RebuildEd podcast, Peña discussed some of her physical insecurities, which she said has meant that she’ll never consider fighting in the same smaller gear as some other fighters.

But the bantamweight queen believes that’s benefitted her in the long run by forcing her to market herself in a manner that’s meant she doesn’t need to post explicit images to get people invested in her career.

While she made sure to clarify that she wasn’t looking down on those who do choose to enhance their social media presence in that way, Peña admitted that she wouldn’t want to set that example for her daughter.

“I think that it’s (physical insecurities) helped me in a way, because it’s easy to take your clothes off and sell something on Instagram, and be this sexy model, but I’m trying to do it in the classy way, where it’s like, I don’t have to take my clothes off to get people invested in what I do,” said Peña. “So, it’s almost like, a thing that’s benefited me in another way as well, because I’ve got a daughter and I want to set a great example for her. I don’t want her to, years from now, be on Instagram and see her mom being half-naked.

“I’m not trying to knock anybody for doing that, you know, get your paper boo-boo, do what you gotta do. But for me, it’s put me in a situation where I have to market myself in a different way that’s not about taking my clothes off and trying to be a ‘sex sells’ kind of person,” concluded Peña.

“The Venezuelan Vixen” will be looking to put a different form of ‘class’ on show at UFC 277 when she returns to the Octagon for the first defense of her title, which will come against a Nunes who is in search of redemption.

Another victory over the “Lioness” will certainly increase her notoriety even further, potentially opening more doors for when her time in the Octagon comes to an end. Peña has somewhat left the door open to a professional wrestling transition in the past, so perhaps she’ll eventually join VanZant in-between the ropes.

Although judging by her latest remarks, we can’t see her agreeing to a modern edition of the defunct ‘bra and panties match’…

What do you make of Julianna Peña’s comments?

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Julianna Peña Recalls Besting Her Brother: “I Choked Him Out”

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña once choked out her brother. Peña was recently a guest on Barstool Chicago and explained how her childhood helped prepare her for life inside the Octagon. Being the youngest of four children, Peña said she took quite a bit of lumps from her older siblings growing up. “My first…

Continue Reading Julianna Peña Recalls Besting Her Brother: “I Choked Him Out” at MMA News.

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña once choked out her brother.

Peña was recently a guest on Barstool Chicago and explained how her childhood helped prepare her for life inside the Octagon. Being the youngest of four children, Peña said she took quite a bit of lumps from her older siblings growing up.

“My first fight was getting the crap beat out of me by my brothers and sisters. I’m the baby of four, and my brother was obsessed with WWE wrestling. He knocked our coconut heads together more time than I could count. I mean, the guy was literally so aggressive, and he had three younger sisters, so he just beat the snot out of us… Finally, one day I was like, ‘I’m gonna Hulk out, I swear to God, I’m gonna Hulk out,’ and that was the last time my sister touched me.”

As for Peña’s brother, the current UFC women’s bantamweight champion was finally able to get the better of him several years into training mixed martial arts (MMA). After being thrown into a Christmas tree by him, Pena choked her brother out on the front lawn — but it was all in good fun.

“My brother, he still beat me up for many, many years, up until, I think I was training for about six years. On Christmas, he threw me into the Christmas tree… the next Thanksgiving, in front of his five boys, I choked him out on the front lawn… I stepped on top of him like, ‘Winner! Don’t you ever touch me again, it’s over [LAUGHS].’ I finally got that redemption.. It was all in good fun. I’m literally like, ‘Thanks for beating me up guys, I made a career out of it now.’ They’re proud of me.”

Peña is coming hot off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. She choked out Amanda Nunes, ending her dominant undefeated streak, taking the 135-pound title. Now, the pair are coaching opposite one another The Ultimate Fighter before rematching on July 30 at UFC 277.

Do you think you would fare better against Julianna Peña than her poor brother did many years ago?

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Peña Believes UFC 269 Upset ‘Lit A Fire Underneath Nunes’ Behind’

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña is expecting a focused and motivated Amanda Nunes when they meet for the second time at UFC 277. At UFC 269 last December, Peña shocked the world by ending the two-division rule of the consensus female MMA GOAT. After Nunes won 12 straight, including against Valentina Shevchenko, Ronda Rousey,…

Continue Reading Peña Believes UFC 269 Upset ‘Lit A Fire Underneath Nunes’ Behind’ at MMA News.

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña is expecting a focused and motivated Amanda Nunes when they meet for the second time at UFC 277.

At UFC 269 last December, Peña shocked the world by ending the two-division rule of the consensus female MMA GOAT. After Nunes won 12 straight, including against Valentina Shevchenko, Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, and Holly Holm, and remained unbeaten for seven years, it was “The Venezuelan Vixen” who broke the mold.

Having suffered a devastating second-round submission loss at the year’s final pay-per-view, the “Lioness” picked herself up and called for an immediate rematch, vowing to right the wrongs from UFC 269.

Now, after the conclusion of this year’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter, which features the two elite bantamweights as coaches, the pair are set to run it back in the main event of UFC 277.

When they do share the cage again, the champ is expecting the “best version” of Nunes. During an interview with Morning Kombat‘s Brian Campbell, Peña suggested that her underdog victory late last year has lit a fire underneath the Brazilian, something she’s ready to feel the force of in Dallas on July 30.

“I think that I lit a gas can of fire right underneath her behind, and she is gonna be more focused than she’s ever been,” said Peña. “I think she’s gonna be the best Amanda that she’s ever been, which is funny, because that’s what she said she was gonna do the first time. So now, I have to be like, ‘Okay, this time it’s serious, this time she’s being for real. She’s coming in at 110%, and I’m gonna get the best version of Amanda Nunes.’

“And that’s great, because I was ready for that best version of Amanda Nunes in August, I was ready for that best version of Amanda Nunes in December, and whenever that date happens (July 30), I will be ready for that best version of Amanda Nunes, and I will be willing and able, I can and I will, meet that head on and do everything in my power to get my hand raised,” insisted Peña.

Despite making good on her promise to prove her doubters wrong at UFC 269, Peña will still be entering her first title defense as the underdog, with BetOnline.ag having the champ at +245.

With that in mind, “The Venezuelan Vixen” will be looking to induce a state of déjà vu for both her detractors and the reigning featherweight queen come July 30.

Do you expect Julianna Peña to be facing the best version of Amanda Nunes at UFC 277?

Continue Reading Peña Believes UFC 269 Upset ‘Lit A Fire Underneath Nunes’ Behind’ at MMA News.