UFC women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Pena knows that nobody expected her to beat Amanda Nunes. But win she did, and with the rematch coming this weekend, Pena is aware that many fans expect her to lose the belt. Julianna Pena, however, told reporters at the UFC 277 media day that she has other plans.
The torch, she says, has been passed. Nunes’ time is over. This is the era of the “Venezuelan Vixen”. “At the end of the day, Amanda and I are the two best fighters in the world. You’re literally getting the two best fighters in the world that are going to collide on Saturday night.
Julianna Pena Confident of Another Win over Nunes: “The Torch Has Been Passed!”
I can’t tell you that I’m going to pull a rabbit out of the hat. I can just tell you that I’m going to stand there toe to toe with the best in the world, and I’m going to give my best, and we’re going to see whose ovaries are bigger. I’m willing to bet that that’s me.”
According to Julianna Pena, it’s time for her, and for the rest of the division, to move forward. The women’s bantamweight and featherweight divisions have been dominated by Amanda Nunes for years. When Julianna Pena finished Nunes via rear naked choke last year, it marked the end of that era.
Amanda Nunes herself has claimed that her preparation for that fight was underwhelming. Recovering from a bout of COVID-19, training on two injured knees, and what she called the worst camp of her career plagued Nunes heading into the fight
The champ, at the time, looked like a shadow of her former self. She’s moved gyms and claims to have improved her training for the rematch, and that’s what Pena is focused on right now. Nunes, at the same press conference, claimed she was more motivated than ever to reclaim her title and assert her position as the greatest female fighter on the planet.
“The torch was passed. I snuffed it out. I’m ready to close this chapter, and I’m ready to move forward. With that being said, it’s hard for me to predict what’s in the future and what’s going to happen.
I just want to live presently at the moment, and presently I have a bigger, faster, stronger, new gym, better mental-state Amanda that’s going to be facing me on Saturday night, and I don’t take that lightly.” Which way do you see the rematch going? Let us know in the comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs6xPh267ZY
