Tag: Julianna Pena

Julianna Pena Willing To Fight Good Friend Miesha Tate For Title

The UFC women’s bantamweight title picture may be a bit messy due to the uncertain return of former champion Ronda Rousey, but current champion Miesha Tate will still defend her championship against Amanda Nunes on the main card of UFC 200 directly after quickly rising Julianna Pena faces off against Cat Zingano in the featured preliminary

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The UFC women’s bantamweight title picture may be a bit messy due to the uncertain return of former champion Ronda Rousey, but current champion Miesha Tate will still defend her championship against Amanda Nunes on the main card of UFC 200 directly after quickly rising Julianna Pena faces off against Cat Zingano in the featured preliminary card bout.

The winner of three straight bouts capped off by a dominant decision win over Jessica Eye at last year’s UFC 192, the No. 5 Pena is now looking to burst into the upper echelon of women’s MMA by defeating former title contender Zingano, who’s been out of action for almost 15 months following her 14-second loss to Rousey at 2015’s UFC 184. If and when she does, Pena told FOX Sports she believes it should earn her a title shot:

“I definitely think so. I beat everybody that they put in front of me, from all those girls on “The Ultimate Fighter” to everybody they’ve put in front of me since. No one else has been on that big of a win streak besides Ronda (Rousey) and I think that I definitely have earned getting a title shot.”

While that could be the case, realistically there’s more of a chance for Rousey to get the next title shot when she decides to return, and if she doesn’t, No. 1-ranked Holly Holm, who infamously beat Rousey and recently lost her belt to Tate via fifth-round submission, will face Valentina Shevchenko at July’s UFC on FOX 20 from Chicago, where a win could see her vaulted back into her desired title rematch.

But Pena is still considered an eventual title contender at 135 pounds regardless, so “The Venezuelan Vixen” has already begun discussing a potential fight with her good friend and former TUF 18 coach Tate, and it’s a fight they’ll apparently both accept:

“Me and Miesha have discussed fighting each other. We said the only way we would fight each other is if her or I had the belt,” Pena said. “Now that she has the belt and I get my hand raised be it July 9, I will ask for a title shot. I only think that that’s right.

“I’m sure she will accept, be it that she wins, which I’m sure she will.”

It sounds a good plan, and four straight wins would be tough to deny. The shadow of Rousey and Holm will always loom large, however, so Pena will have to defeat Zingano very impressively to leapfrog the gargantuan contenders currently ahead of her on the 135-pound order.

With Rousey and Holm’s results and plans unknown, that may just be a distant possibility for the near future.

The post Julianna Pena Willing To Fight Good Friend Miesha Tate For Title appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Friday Link Dump: Nurmagomedov Gets an Opponent, GSP Gets a History Channel Show, Dirty Jokes in Kid’s Cartoons + More

(UFC 200: Road to the Octagon)

Khabib Nurmagomedov Remains on UFC on FOX 19 Card With Short-Notice Opponent (MMAJunkie)

UFC 199 Headliners React to New CSAC Weight-Cutting Rules (MMAFighting)

Kenny Florian Set to Compete at IBJJF NY Open (BloodyElbow)

Cat Zingano vs Julianna Pena Official for UFC 200 in July (MMAMania)

The post Friday Link Dump: Nurmagomedov Gets an Opponent, GSP Gets a History Channel Show, Dirty Jokes in Kid’s Cartoons + More appeared first on Cagepotato.


(UFC 200: Road to the Octagon)

Khabib Nurmagomedov Remains on UFC on FOX 19 Card With Short-Notice Opponent (MMAJunkie)

UFC 199 Headliners React to New CSAC Weight-Cutting Rules (MMAFighting)

Kenny Florian Set to Compete at IBJJF NY Open (BloodyElbow)

Cat Zingano vs Julianna Pena Official for UFC 200 in July (MMAMania)

Shogun Rua & Anderson Silva React To Keyboard Warriors (LowKick)

Georges St-Pierre Goes Digging for Dinosaurs in New TV Series (FoxSports)

Hardcore Henry Review (Screen Junkies)

Judging Grand Theft Auto V (Escapist)

26 Dirty Jokes Hidden In Kid’s Cartoons (Photos) (Radass)

#HillarySoQualified Hashtag Backfires, Hillary Gets Roasted (EveryJoe)

10 Dating “Tips” in Chick Flicks You Should Never Try in Real Life (MadeMan)

The post Friday Link Dump: Nurmagomedov Gets an Opponent, GSP Gets a History Channel Show, Dirty Jokes in Kid’s Cartoons + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

Cat Zingano, Julianna Pena Will Meet At UFC 200

To get to the UFC female bantamweight title, Julianna Pena must go through a former contender.

Pena will meet Cat Zingano this July as part of UFC 200 from Las Vegas. The card will also include Miesha Tate defending the 135-pound belt against Amanda…

cat-zingano

To get to the UFC female bantamweight title, Julianna Pena must go through a former contender.

Pena will meet Cat Zingano this July as part of UFC 200 from Las Vegas. The card will also include Miesha Tate defending the 135-pound belt against Amanda Nunes.

Following her victory on The Ultimate Fighter, Pena (7-2) spent over a year on the sidelines recovering from a knee injury. She returned in 2015 with wins over Milana Dudieva and Jessica Eye.

Zingano (9-1) saw her unbeaten run come to a screeching halt at the hands of Ronda Rousey for the belt at UFC 184, suffering a quick submission loss. She was recently sidelined with an injury of her own.

Joining those two bouts will be Nate Diaz-Conor McGregor, Jose Aldo-Frankie Edgar for the interim featherweight title and Cain Velasquez-Travis Browne.

Cat Zingano Has A Huge Fight At UFC 200

Former title challenger Cat Zingano has her long-awaited return to the Octagon scheduled. The No. 3-ranked ‘Alpha,’ who was last seen losing a 14-second title bout to Ronda Rousey at UFC 184 in February 2015, will meet surging No. 4 Julianna Pena at July 9’s stacked UFC 200 pay-per-view (PPV) event from the new T-Mobile Arena in

The post Cat Zingano Has A Huge Fight At UFC 200 appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Former title challenger Cat Zingano has her long-awaited return to the Octagon scheduled.

The No. 3-ranked ‘Alpha,’ who was last seen losing a 14-second title bout to Ronda Rousey at UFC 184 in February 2015, will meet surging No. 4 Julianna Pena at July 9’s stacked UFC 200 pay-per-view (PPV) event from the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

ESPNW broke the news today:

Zingano earned No. 1 contender status in her first-ever UFC fight, finishing current champion Miesha Tate in the third round a gritty come-from-behind win at 2013’s The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 17 Finale. She was unable to serve as coach opposite Ronda Rousey on TUF 18 due to an injured knee, however, and Tate took her place. She returned to the Octagon at UFC 178 in September 2014, topping current title challenger Amanda Nunes via TKO.

The win earned her the title shot at Rousey. Fans have been awaiting her next fight ever since.

Pena, on the other hand, exploded on the UFC scene as the winner of the female contract on TUF 18, but she too dealt with a very serious knee injury that kept her out of action for over a year before she returned to defeat Milana Dudieva in 2015. She then beat Jessica Eye at UFC 192 to solidify her place among the top female bantamweights in MMA.

Zingano teased an ‘epic return’ and many thought hse was referring to a bout with Cris ‘Cyborg’ or Holly Holm, but if she can get past ‘The Venezuelan Vixen,’ she’ll no doubt be dangerously close to the title shot she wants for redemption.

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UFC Releases Statement On Female Contender Julianna Pena

Julianna-Pena

The UFC has decided to not schedule Julianna Pena for a fight while the former Ultimate Fighter winner was being investigated over a legal matter in Washington.

On Monday, the promotion confirmed that they are pleased with the report back and will move forward with Pena’s career.

The 26-year-old Pena (7-2) has won all three of her Octagon bouts, including a 2015 decision over Jessica Eye.

A complete statement can be found below:

UFC announced today that an investigation into allegations of assault by UFC competitor Julianna Pena is now complete. Pena recently came to a resolution with the Prosecutor’s Office in Spokane County, Washington. The resolution was thoroughly reviewed by Campbell & Williams, a Las Vegas-based law firm hired by UFC to oversee its investigation into the matter.

UFC elected not to schedule Pena for a bout while the legal proceedings were ongoing. Now that the matter has been resolved, Pena is eligible to return to competition in the UFC and will be scheduled for a bout in the near future.

While UFC is supportive of the resolution of Pena’s criminal matter, Pena acknowledges that her actions as a professional athlete should reflect well of her, the sport of mixed martial arts, and the UFC. Consequently, Pena has volunteered to participate in counseling as a condition for her return to the Octagon.

Julianna-Pena

The UFC has decided to not schedule Julianna Pena for a fight while the former Ultimate Fighter winner was being investigated over a legal matter in Washington.

On Monday, the promotion confirmed that they are pleased with the report back and will move forward with Pena’s career.

The 26-year-old Pena (7-2) has won all three of her Octagon bouts, including a 2015 decision over Jessica Eye.

A complete statement can be found below:

UFC announced today that an investigation into allegations of assault by UFC competitor Julianna Pena is now complete. Pena recently came to a resolution with the Prosecutor’s Office in Spokane County, Washington. The resolution was thoroughly reviewed by Campbell & Williams, a Las Vegas-based law firm hired by UFC to oversee its investigation into the matter.

UFC elected not to schedule Pena for a bout while the legal proceedings were ongoing. Now that the matter has been resolved, Pena is eligible to return to competition in the UFC and will be scheduled for a bout in the near future.

While UFC is supportive of the resolution of Pena’s criminal matter, Pena acknowledges that her actions as a professional athlete should reflect well of her, the sport of mixed martial arts, and the UFC. Consequently, Pena has volunteered to participate in counseling as a condition for her return to the Octagon.

Julianna Pena Didn’t Even Have To Go To Court For Recent Assault Allegations

Rising UFC women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Pena will not face any serious consequences regarding her arrest on two counts of assault last December. She was arrested for allegedly kicking a few male employees of a Washington bar below the belt after they denied her friend and training partner Joshua Gow use of their bathroom to

The post Julianna Pena Didn’t Even Have To Go To Court For Recent Assault Allegations appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Rising UFC women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Pena will not face any serious consequences regarding her arrest on two counts of assault last December.

She was arrested for allegedly kicking a few male employees of a Washington bar below the belt after they denied her friend and training partner Joshua Gow use of their bathroom to clean up his bloodied face from a drunken brawl, but it appears ‘The Venezualen Vixen’ won’t pay much of a price if she keeps her nose clean.

If the fighter remains out of trouble for the next year, something her lawyer doesn’t see being a problem, the charges will be completely dropped:

 “Frankly, in my view, charges should have ever been brought in the first instance,” Pena’s attorney Carl Oreskovich told MMA Fighting. … “I don’t have any expectation that she’ll do anything other than comply with it and get the case dismissed.”

According to Oreskovich, the situation arose simply out of bad judgment:

“The circumstances that led Julianna into the bar were that she was seeking medical attention for her friend,” Oreskovich said. “When it was denied, she reacted. Pretty simple. And things got out of control. I think there was some bad judgment all around.”

As far as what lies ahead in terms of fighting, the former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner recently told Submission Radio that she doesn’t currently have a fight lined up, although a summer return date would be ideal:

“I’m not sure exactly, but I know it’s going to be sometime in some months. So maybe sometime in the summer I’m assuming. But yeah, I’m just waiting to hear when my next fight is gonna be announced. I know that my legal issues are resolved and I’m just now waiting for the UFC to announce my next fight.”

“The Venezuelan Vixen” has long been considered to be a serious threat to the 135-pound throne, although injuries and her legal issues have slightly delayed her expected progress. She didn’t want to expand too much on her clearing up of the charges, but did say her lawyer enabled to not even have to go to court:

“It’s still under wraps, it’s just something that I would rather put behind me. What I will say, is that the matter was resolved and it’s all taken care of now. So I didn’t have to go to court, you know, I had a really great lawyer to take care of things for me and it’s over and done with.”

With that being said, Pena doesn’t necessarily feel as if she’s been forgotten about, but rather that she’s seen as a ‘sleeper’ waiting to challenger Miesha Tate for the title:

“No, I don’t. I just watched an interview today where Miesha mentioned me herself as a possible contender for her next fight. You know, I feel like she knows that, a lot of people that are diehards know that. Maybe not the casual fan, because all they know is Ronda and Conor McGregor and that’s it, but I feel like I’m a secret shopper, I’m that one that everybody’s sleeping on. And when it is my turn, then they will know who I am and I’m just anticipating that moment and I’m anticipating that time.”

Despite the friendship between the two, Pena claims that there would be no issues with her fighting Tate given that it be for the title. However, she expects to fight at least one more time before earning her shot at divisional supremacy:

“Yes we have. We’ve discussed it several times and we discussed it primarily right after I won The Ultimate Fighter. And because we’re friends, the deal was, the only conditions that we would fight each other, would be if she has the belt or if I have the belt. And now that she has the belt, I know that she’s aware that, that was the agreement that we had decided on.

“And so I think it’s now just a matter of who they decide who her next fight is. Whether she’s gonna wait for Ronda, or if she’s going to say she’s going to take a fight against somebody else. And if they wanna put me in that title shot, I would love that. I would love nothing more than that. But if they want me to fight one more and then fight for the title, then I’ll do that too. That’s the impression that I’m under, is that they want me to fight one more time before I get my shot at the title. And it doesn’t make any sense to me, but again, like I said, I’m biased.”

It is assumed that Tate will meet Rousey for the third time in the near future while former queen Holly Holm also looms in the title race. If “Cupcake” does indeed clash with the “Rowdy” one, however, Pena would pick Tate to emerge victorious:

“I’ve always had a belief and extreme faith in Miesha as a fighter. And the first time she fought Ronda, I said Miesha’s gonna win. And the second time she fought Ronda, I said Miesha’s gonna win. So if they fight for a third time, I’m going with my girl Miesha for sure.”

Do you agree with Pena’s prediction, and how far away is she from a title shot?

The post Julianna Pena Didn’t Even Have To Go To Court For Recent Assault Allegations appeared first on LowKick MMA.