Julianna Peña sees a path to a 3rd combat with Amanda Nunes.
And it doesn’t undergo Kayla Harrison.
Throughout a latest look on The MMA Hour, Peña aired her grievances over the two-time PFL’s champion fast stand up the contender ranks since signing with the UFC in January, beginning with all of the speak that Harrison might leapfrog her for the possibility to face bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington.
“It’s annoying,” Peña mentioned. “What did Dustin Poirier say the opposite day to Michael Chandler, when he was saying, like, ‘Who’re you?’ To not say, ‘Who’re you, Kayla,’ however simply to say these ladies have been within the UFC endlessly, so it’s nearly a respect factor. Clearly, Kayla’s within the combine and she or he’ll get her probability as nicely. It’s only a matter of time at this level.”
Harrison just lately made the bounce to UFC after a profitable PFL run that noticed her seize a pair of match titles (and their accompanying $1 million prizes), and win 16 of her first 17 fights. She debuted at UFC 300 with a one-sided submission win over former bantamweight champion Holly Holm to place herself as a right away risk to Pennington’s reign.
Peña wasn’t impressed, basically calling the matchup a showcase bout for Harrison.
“I do know that Holly is a legend and that she has executed unimaginable issues on this sport,” Peña mentioned. “I additionally know that she is in a special trajectory in her profession. She’s going a special method. So I really feel like they had been trying to tout up Kayla as the following largest factor since sliced bread, they usually bought that in that combat.”
With Peña out of motion for the the previous two years, the bantamweight division has seen main upheaval, with longtime champion Amanda Nunes retiring in 2023 and Pennington defeating Mayra Bueno Silva for a vacant belt this previous January. Nunes’ retirement notably stung Peña as she had been booked for a trilogy bout with Nunes at UFC 289 earlier than being pressured to drag out with an harm.
Peña defeated Nunes in a surprising upset at UFC 269, then misplaced a unanimous resolution in a right away rematch at UFC 277. When Nunes made the choice to hold up the gloves, Peña felt robbed of her alternative to settle their rating, and was much more incensed by Nunes seeming to trace that she would come out of retirement for Harrison.
“I used to be indignant, and I’ll inform you why. I took a lot warmth, that simply tacked it on for being essentially the most hated woman [in the UFC], after I was cageside booing Amanda for retiring as a result of I believed in my coronary heart that she was not likely executed, and I believed that she was prematurely retiring and that she was speculated to combat with me, so I assumed that it was a bit of ridiculous that she was going to only exit 1-1 like that.
“With that being mentioned, when Kayla didn’t name her out and Amanda made the large video about, ‘Why didn’t you say my identify,’ it was as a result of I believed the entire time that she wasn’t able to retire,” Peña mentioned. “So I’m getting crap for booing her, however I nonetheless really feel the ‘Spidey Senses’ and all that, that she is going to come again and it’s only a matter of time earlier than she does.”
Earlier than any beef could be settled with Nunes or Harrison, Peña has one objective in thoughts: Regaining the bantamweight belt.
Peña’s win within the first Nunes combat made her an surprising champion, and although her reign was quick, she feels having a win over one of many biggest fighters of all-time ought to preserve her on the entrance of any contender speak. So first she’ll cope with Pennington, then think about her choices.
“My objective afterward — I don’t need to put the cart earlier than the horse — I need to combat Raquel,” Peña mentioned. “I would like my belt again. I’m getting my belt again. I would like my belt. After that, I’ll completely be calling out Amanda, and I consider that she completely will come again as a result of it’s simply too large of a combat for her to go away.
“Everybody’s like, ‘Do you consider she’s retired?’ No, I don’t. I feel she’s simply ready for an ideal alternative and that would be the good alternative.”
Peña went on to name a possible matchup with Nunes “the largest trilogy in girls’s fight sports activities.”
None of Peña’s plans will matter if Harrison’s star energy results in UFC favoring her as an opponent for Nunes ought to “The Lioness” return to competitors. Ought to that occur, Peña received’t be comfortable.
“I feel it will be low-cost, however I wouldn’t be stunned, let’s put it that method,” Peña mentioned. “Crazier issues have occurred.”
“It’s a bit of bit ridiculous,” she added. “Like I mentioned, get in line. There’s a pecking order right here.”
