UFC women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Peña continues to be unimpressed by Raquel Pennington’s efforts as champion.
Nine months on from winning the vacant belt at the expense of Mayra Bueno Silva in Canada, Pennington will return for her first title defense in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 307 pay-per-view.
Opposite “Rocky” in Salt Lake City, Utah will be a familiar face in the form of Peña, whom she featured with on the cast of The Ultimate Fighter 18 in 2013.
Animosity exists between the pair dating back to the show, and that’s led to plenty of back and forth in the lead-up to their collision inside the Octagon at the Delta Center this weekend.
Peña: Pennington Not A ‘Good Representation’ Of The Division
During her appearance at UFC 307 media day on Wednesday, Peña assessed how Pennington has fit into the role of champion following her crowning in Toronto this past January.
The former bantamweight queen unsurprisingly had a critical take, taking aim at Pennington’s failure to promote herself and their fight adequately.
“Raquel has not been a good representation of the women’s bantamweight division,” Peña said. “She has not promoted. She has said no to Embedded. She has constantly done everything that she can to avoid being the face of women’s MMA and not being that big face who wants to promote and be that big representation of women’s MMA.
“That, to me, is you’re showing me nothing, but you’re telling me everything by not being that person that is letting everyone know that you’re fighting,” Peña continued. “I want to be that person. That’s my role, and I can do it better, and that’s why I believe I am going to be able to seal the deal on Saturday night and get that gold again.”
While Peña is hoping and evidently expecting to invigorate the division with a second reign, one which she hopes draws Amanda Nunes back from retirement to complete their trilogy, Pennington no doubt has other plans.
And should “Rocky” have her hand raised in the “Beehive State,” she’d have achieved a feat that “The Venezuelan Vixen” failed when she held the gold — recording a successful title defense.
