After her victory against Amanda Nunes at UFC 269, Julianna Peña claimed her spot as “first mom champ”.
Peña stopped the show in round 2 by rear-naked choke and accomplished the greatest feats of her MMA career: defeating Amanda Nunes. “The Venezuelan Vixen” became the new bantamweight queen and noted another title for herself in a post-fight interview.
January of 2018 marks the birth month of Peña’s first child. Peña gave birth by C-section and claims that makes her the first mom champion. This is in contrast to Nunes, who supported her wife Nina Nunes throughout the pregnancy and delivery.
Since Peña’s statements made in December, she has clarified the meaning of her words. The bantamweight champion is not discrediting “The Lioness” as a mom or as a mom champ, but she believes since she birthed her daughter, that is deserving of separate recognition.
However, the controversial comments left a sour taste in many mouths, especially Nunes, who posted on Instagram her counter opinion of motherhood.
And Nunes’s views have not changed. During a recent media scrum, she touched on the subject again.
“Honestly, how Julianna carried herself, I know that was coming from her. That don’t bother me that much. If I want, I can have a baby. I don’t have any problem. But I had to post something because when me and Nina went through the IVF process, I saw how many mothers were sitting down crying next to me because they’re not able to have a baby. They have to go through another way to be able to feel that love from a child and give it back,” said Nunes.
Agreeably, Peña needed to recover after her C-section birth to daughter Issa Cruz before getting back in the cage. However, the issues surrounding motherhood make it a sensitive subject for millions of people.
“So, when I heard that from her, I was like, ‘Now I have to (respond)…’ There are a lot of people that can not have a baby. So, that was my way to step in and say like, ‘Okay, you’re a mother, cool, you delivered your baby, but there are a lot of people who are not able to.’ You have to really say those things in a different way because there are a lot of people sensitive about that subject. As a champion as well, I have to be able to stand out and voice something,” Nunes continued.
At some point in 2022, both champions will meet in the Octagon again. Perhaps the motherhood controversy is adding more heat to their anticipated rematch.
What are your thoughts on Amanda Nunes’s approach to Julianna Peña’s comments?
