UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña has sent a stern warning to longtime rival Amanda Nunes as she continues to pursue a trilogy.
Peña returned to the 135-pound throne earlier this month in the co-main event of the UFC 307 pay-per-view. In Salt Lake City, Utah, “The Venezuelan Vixen” fell on the right side of a controversial split decision to make Raquel Pennington’s reign a short one.
With two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison moving to 2-0 in the UFC on the same night, many were quick to brand her possible clash with Peña as the next title fight in the bantamweight division.
The champ, however, had other plans. She used her time on the mic post-fight to call out former opponent Amanda Nunes, who retired after avenging her loss to Peña and subsequently defeating Irena Aldana to defend the 135-pound title.
But during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Peña suggested that Nunes is awaiting the result of her expected defense against Harrison, claiming the Brazilian’s comeback teases will dissipate when she blemishes the ex-PFL champ’s UFC record.
Despite being heavily beaten and bloodied herself en route to a lopsided decision defeat to Nunes in mid-2022, Peña insisted that the damage she’d inflict on Nunes in a trilogy fight would not be worth a lucrative comeback check from the UFC.
“(Nunes) thinks I’m going to lose to Kayla, and when I beat Kayla, she’s going to say, ‘I stay retired.’ But if Kayla wins, then she’s going to come out of retirement and look like some hero,” Peña said. “The reality is — and I know this for a fact — she feels that she doesn’t have anything to prove against me, and she feels that she hates Kayla more than she wants to prove something and fight me for a trilogy.
“She walked out of (the rematch) with frickin’ elephantitis on half her face, crutches, and a wheelchair. She knows it’s not going to be some walk in the park, easy night in the office,” Peña continued. “No amount of money they pay her is going to be worth the amount of damage that she’s going to have to sustain in this fight because I’m not going away, and she knows that.”
“The Lioness” and “The Venezuelan Vixen” were originally slated to share the cage for a third time in Canada last year, but a rib injury forced the latter out.
Peña was left bemused when her rival subsequently hung up the gloves and has long attempted to draw Nunes back to competition.
The Brazilian appears closer to a return than ever, but whether that desire derives from a hope to complete unfinished business with the champ or do battle with an ex-teammate in Harrison remains to be seen.
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