Tag: Julianna Pena

Casey O’Neill Pulled A Julianna Peña To Dana White At UFC 271

UFC women’s flyweight Casey O’Neill took a page out of bantamweight champion Julianna Peña’s book while speaking to Dana White prior to UFC 271. At UFC 271, O’Neill took another step towards title contention. She did so by sending veteran Roxanne Modafferi into retirement off the back of a loss. While she failed to maintain…

Continue Reading Casey O’Neill Pulled A Julianna Peña To Dana White At UFC 271 at MMA News.

UFC women’s flyweight Casey O’Neill took a page out of bantamweight champion Julianna Peña’s book while speaking to Dana White prior to UFC 271.

At UFC 271, O’Neill took another step towards title contention. She did so by sending veteran Roxanne Modafferi into retirement off the back of a loss.

While she failed to maintain her 100% finishing record in the UFC, “King Casey” did extend her perfect professional résumé to 9-0 with victory on the scorecards. In doing so, she moved up three places to #12 on the 125-pound ladder.

She also appeared to establish herself as the promotion’s newest villain with her Octagon interview and post-fight press conference remarks. if she’s believed, we can expect O’Neill to become “the best bad guy” we’ve ever seen in the coming months and years.

O’Neill Vowed To Capture Gold

With another jump closer to dominant flyweight ruler Valentina Shevchenko, O’Neill is beginning to attract attention as a possible title contender. But while she’s targeting a steady rise through every ranked 125lber first, the Scottish-Australian has gold in her sights, something she let Dana White know prior to her win against “The Happy Warrior.”

Discussing O’Neill’s performance during his appearance at the UFC 271 post-fight press conference, White revealed what the 24-year-old told him at the event’s ceremonial weigh-ins. She seemingly took the opportunity to make an ambitious promise to the UFC President.

“The thing about Roxanne is she’s very unassuming. But she’s a very tough, durable, awkward fighter to fight, and Casey beat her tonight,” said White. “She walked up to me on stage during the weigh-ins and said, ‘I’m going to be your next world champion.’ So I like her attitude, I like the way she fights, she’s aggressive, she’s tough, we’ll see what she does.”

O’Neill’s promise is reminiscent of the one given to the UFC President by reigning bantamweight queen Peña. After “The Venezuelan Vixen” upset the odds at UFC 269 by dethroning then-two-division champion Amanda Nunes, White revealed the newly-crowned titleholder had forecasted her own success to him before she’d joined the promotion.

The question is, can O’Neill make good on her promise like Peña did?

Do you think Casey O’Neill can replicate Julianna Peña’s bantamweight success at flyweight?

Continue Reading Casey O’Neill Pulled A Julianna Peña To Dana White At UFC 271 at MMA News.

Mackenzie Dern: You Don’t Have To Give Birth To Be A Mom Champ

UFC women’s strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern has given her take on bantamweight champion Julianna Peña’s past comments on motherhood. At UFC 269, Amanda Nunes put her 135-pound gold on the line against “The Venezuelan Vixen.” In and around fight week was the presence of two little ones. While the Brazilian became a mom after her…

Continue Reading Mackenzie Dern: You Don’t Have To Give Birth To Be A Mom Champ at MMA News.

UFC women’s strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern has given her take on bantamweight champion Julianna Peña’s past comments on motherhood.

At UFC 269, Amanda Nunes put her 135-pound gold on the line against “The Venezuelan Vixen.” In and around fight week was the presence of two little ones. While the Brazilian became a mom after her wife Nina Nunes gave birth to daughter Raegan in 2020, Peña brought her daughter into the world two years prior in 2018.

After shocking the world with her performance at the final pay-per-view of 2021, the newly-crowned bantamweight queen shocked a few more with some of her post-fight remarks. She claimed that, owing to the fact she gave birth to her child, she deserves the title of “first mom champ,” rather than the defeated Nunes.

In a recent exclusive interview with MMA News, Dern, who became a mother herself in 2019, provided her thoughts on her UFC peer’s controversial comments.

Dern: I Disagree With Peña, But Understand Her Take

After making the statement, Peña drew widespread criticism, with Nunes even suggesting her rival has to be more aware when addressing the sensitive topic of motherhood and the alternate methods to pregnancy.

Like many, Dern, the current #5-ranked 115-pound contender, disagrees with the idea a fighter can only become a ‘mom champ’ if she’s given birth.

Nevertheless, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist told MMA News she understands where Peña is coming from, and identified some of the benefits that could come for those who didn’t go through pregnancy and delivery.

“I think each family is different,” said Dern. “I don’t think that actually giving birth is what makes the mom champ, you know what I mean? Because, I mean, the guys, they have tons of guys, men, that dedicate a lot of time with their kids and all things like that. But also, too, they have the guys that have the moms, the wives, that’s been kinda help(ing) with their career, their training, and the guys can just focus on training, and they have the wife that helps them out and can just take care of the kids for them, and be that support team for them.

“I don’t know. I don’t really agree with the whole, ‘Oh, because they’re giving birth, they’re the mom champ.’ But, I mean, I understand what she’s trying to say,” concluded Dern.

It is worth noting that Peña later clarified her remarks and has since stated that Amanda Nunes is indeed a true mom champ.

As well as discussing Peña’s comments on motherhood, Dern also touched on topics like her recent knee injury, her upcoming return to action at UFC 273 against Tecia Torres, and the impending return of former champion Joanna J?drzejczyk during her interview with MMA News.

Since returning from her maternity break, Dern has shot back into contention. After suffering her first setback in professional MMA at the hands of Amanda Ribas, the 28-year-old won four straight bouts, three of which ended via first-round submission.

Having dropped her last contest to Marina Rodriguez, Dern will be hoping to return to the win column and the title conversation when she enters the Octagon for the first time in 2022. In her way of doing so will be Tecia Torres, who has had an impressive resurgence in recent times.

Given that she’s on the right side of 30, Dern will be hoping to join the club of mom champs in the coming years, a pursuit that will first have to get through a certain “Tiny Tornado.”

Do you agree with Mackenzie Dern?

Continue Reading Mackenzie Dern: You Don’t Have To Give Birth To Be A Mom Champ at MMA News.

Julianna Peña Says She’s Still Being ‘Harassed’ By Her Naysayers

UFC Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña feels she still has plenty to prove in the upcoming rematch against Amanda Nunes. Peña pulled off arguably the biggest upset in UFC history at UFC 269, dismantling Nunes on the feet before eventually securing a rear-naked choke for the finish. It was Nunes’ first loss in the Octagon since…

Continue Reading Julianna Peña Says She’s Still Being ‘Harassed’ By Her Naysayers at MMA News.

UFC Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña feels she still has plenty to prove in the upcoming rematch against Amanda Nunes.

Peña pulled off arguably the biggest upset in UFC history at UFC 269, dismantling Nunes on the feet before eventually securing a rear-naked choke for the finish. It was Nunes’ first loss in the Octagon since 2014 when she lost to Cat Zingano at UFC 178.

Peña has enjoyed the newfound fame after her win over Nunes but still deals with her fair share of critics despite the success. During an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Peña explained how she still has a vocal group of haters who believe her win over Nunes was an outlier.

“There’s still naysayers out there,” Peña said. “There’s still people that think there was a fluke. There’s people that are still harassing me. There’s still people that are being like, ‘She’s gonna kill you.’ They’re like, ‘10 seconds and you’re dead.’ And so I would love nothing more than to put the naysayers to bed for one last time.”

Social media trolls aren’t the only ones who have aimed at Pena following the win. Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov downplayed her victory during a recent press conference, criticizing the current level of women’s MMA. Meanwhile, Peña’s former Ultimate Fighting coach Miesha Tate believes anyone who thinks the UFC 269 outcome was a fluke is crazy.

Peña and Nunes will have a rematch later this year following coaching opposite one another on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. Peña pulled off an all-time great victory at UFC 269, and she’s looking to prove that she’s here to stay as the UFC bantamweight queen

How do you think the Julianna Peña -Amanda Nunes rematch will play out?

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Julianna Peña Names Four Female Fighters She Admired As An MMA Newcomer

The UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña admired some of the best female names in MMA during her come-up. With a professional record of 11 wins and 4 losses and recently defeating one of the greatest women in MMA to obtain the UFC bantamweight title, Julianna Peña is becoming a star in her own right….

Continue Reading Julianna Peña Names Four Female Fighters She Admired As An MMA Newcomer at MMA News.

The UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña admired some of the best female names in MMA during her come-up.

With a professional record of 11 wins and 4 losses and recently defeating one of the greatest women in MMA to obtain the UFC bantamweight title, Julianna Peña is becoming a star in her own right.

Peña took the MMA world by storm when she defeated Amanda Nunes at UFC 269. She started a fierce MMA career back in 2009 and is still going strong. So it is no surprise that the list of women MMA fighters she admires are/were strong competitors.

“There was, the girls that were fighting before me, while I was coming up. Miesha Tate, Cris Cyborg, and Gina Carano. I loved Gina Carano. Those were the ones that I remember too,” Peña told New York Post.

Peña and Miesha Tate became friends during their season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Miesha Tate
Miesha Tate, Photo Credit: Harry How/Zuffa LLC

Tate is a former UFC bantamweight champion who owns impressive wins against the likes of Holly Holm and Jessica Eye. In May, the former champion will face Lauren Murphy for a shot back in the winner’s circle after losing the second fight of her 2021 comeback to Ketlen Vieira.

It is also not shocking that Cris Cyborg made the list. Her name goes hand-in-hand with women’s mixed martial arts. The current Bellator bantamweight champion was in the middle of dominating her opponents when Peña was entering the professional MMA scene.

Gina Carano and Cris Cyborg
Gina Carano and Cris Cyborg, Photo Credit: Strikeforce

Gina Carano was an unstoppable force until Cyborg put an end to her 7-fight win streak in 2009. It was the only loss and last fight of her MMA career.

“Shayna Baszler, too. I remember buying her shirt and getting her autograph and being a fan of hers. And then I had to fight her on “The Ultimate Fighter.” I was like, ‘I’m fighting someone that I look up to! Someone that I think is really great!’It was so weird to be fighting a legend. That definitely happened,” Peña continued.

Shayna Baszler
Shayna Baszler, Photo Credit: Esther Lin/MMA Fighting

And an exciting match it was for Peña. She defeated her idol in round 2 by rear-naked choke. The current WWE star Baszler had an MMA record of 15-11.

What are your thoughts on the fighters Julianna Peña admired when she started MMA?

Continue Reading Julianna Peña Names Four Female Fighters She Admired As An MMA Newcomer at MMA News.

Archives: Cowboy Enjoys ‘Topless Festivities’ at Daytona 500 (2017)

The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives. On This Day Five Years Ago… [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 27, 2017, 11:56 AM] “Cowboy” is currently enjoying a break from the octagon following his second round, TKO loss…

Continue Reading Archives: Cowboy Enjoys ‘Topless Festivities’ at Daytona 500 (2017) at MMA News.

The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

On This Day Five Years Ago…

[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 27, 2017, 11:56 AM]

“Cowboy” is currently enjoying a break from the octagon following his second round, TKO loss to Jorge Masvidal at UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña in January.

Cerrone was enjoying a four-fight win streak at welterweight, which included three “Performance of the Night” awards prior to Masvidal derailing his success following his jump from lightweight.

“Cowboy” is just as renowned for his activity inside the cage as he is for his fighting skills. For example, the fan-favorite fought and beat Benson Henderson on the Conor McGregor v Denis Siver card just 15 days following his defeat over Miles Jury at UFC 182, and fans are keen to see the former WEC title challenger take a break to readjust himself prior to a return to the octagon.

Those calls appear to have been heeded by “Cowboy”, as he recently spoke with TMZ Sports to discuss his downtime at Daytona 500. Cerrone discusses why the UFC is scarier than NASCAR and gives his insight into “topless festivities” and “crazy redneck chicks lying around naked”.

There is winding down, and then there is winding down “Cowboy” style…

You can watch the full clip above.

Continue Reading Archives: Cowboy Enjoys ‘Topless Festivities’ at Daytona 500 (2017) at MMA News.

Peña: I Know The Mistakes I Need To Correct Before Nunes Rematch

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Julianna Peña is looking ahead to her rematch with Amanda Nunes, and knows there are some areas of her game she needs to fix before their second clash. At UFC 269, the final pay-per-view of 2021, Peña closed out a memorable year for MMA’s premier promotion in style. In the co-main event,…

Continue Reading Peña: I Know The Mistakes I Need To Correct Before Nunes Rematch at MMA News.

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Julianna Peña is looking ahead to her rematch with Amanda Nunes, and knows there are some areas of her game she needs to fix before their second clash.

At UFC 269, the final pay-per-view of 2021, Peña closed out a memorable year for MMA’s premier promotion in style. In the co-main event, she had her long-awaited title shot against then-two-division titleholder Nunes. Prior to December, the “Lioness” boasted a 12-fight win streak and was unbeaten since 2014.

While most expected that impressive run of form to continue into 2022, “The Venezuelan Vixen” had other plans.

After evading Nunes’ intent to finish in the opening round, Peña put her own game plan into action, taking the fight to the Brazilian on the feet, before dragging her to the mat and submitting a visibly fatigued and disheartened Nunes.

Peña Acknowledges Title-Winning Performance Wasn’t Perfect

While the memory of her remarkable ascent to the bantamweight throne remains fresh and spoken about in most interviews, Peña is beginning to adjust her focus towards her next task: a second victory over Nunes.

Shortly after the shocking result, Dana White made it clear the reigning featherweight queen would be offered an immediate chance at redemption at 135 pounds, something she welcomed with open arms.

With her first defense and rematch with Nunes on the horizon, “The Venezuelan Vixen” knows she has to make adjustments to her game, and has acknowledged that she made some “very big mistakes” at UFC 269.

“I would say I’ve watched (UFC 269 fight) at least four times. As far as my assessment, there’s definitely some very big mistakes that I made, and I’m looking to correct those,” Peña told BT Sport’s Caroline Pearce. “I’m already starting my training camp, I’m trying to get back in shape right now. I’m gonna give myself one last hurrah to keep my hair down tonight, and then after that it’s straight business.

“I got dumped in the first round and that really pissed my coaches off,” added Peña. “So, I just need to make sure I don’t get dumped again in the next fight. Aside from that, I think, hey, it’s fighting, mistakes are going to happen.”

In a perfect world, Peña says her first defense will come after a stint coaching the next season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Nunes. With Ariel Helwani reporting that the pair are the front-runners to do so this year, it seems she may get her wish.

How do you think the expected rematch between Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes will play out?

Continue Reading Peña: I Know The Mistakes I Need To Correct Before Nunes Rematch at MMA News.