SALT LAKE CITY – Julianna Pena is determined to settle the score with Amanda Nunes.
Despite Nunes being retired, Peña (12-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) is still holding out hope for a third fight between the two, especially after her latest showing in the octagon. Peña recaptured the UFC women’s bantamweight title Saturday by outpointing Raquel Pennington (16-9 MMA, 13-5 UFC) in a split decision in the co-main event of UFC 307.
Peña hopes her championship win is enough to lure back Nunes from retirement, that way they can break their 1-1 tie and settle the score to their rivarly.
“When I saw Amanda retire that day, I was sitting cageside, and I was booing because I didn’t believe she was truly done,” Peña said at the UFC 307 post-fight interview. “You hear Dana White saying that he thinks she retired too early, and then you watch her and I think she’s just twiddling her thumbs and saying, ‘What am I doing? I’m bored. Who am I if I’m not fighting in the UFC?’
“There’s an air that I feel that she’s missing this sport and trying to find something to make her want to come back. … I truly do not believe she’s done. She retired too early. I think that she’s looking for something to do.”
Apart from Nunes expressing interest in potentially fighting again, Peña believes a third fight between the two would be the biggest fight in the history of women’s MMA.
“That, to me, is the biggest fight in women’s mixed martial arts history because we’re 1-1,” Peña said. “My fight against her was so dominant, I made her tap. Our second time, I ran out of time. I lost a decision handily – fine. No problem. But it would be nice to put it to bed once and for all and get that trilogy fight that she ran away from.”
There’s no guarantee Nunes would be interested in a return. But if that is the case, Peña is fine defending her title against Kayla Harrsion – who also fought at UFC 307 and beat Ketlen Vieira.
“If Amanda cowards away and doesn’t come back and fight me, then yes, you’re absolutely right: Kayla brings a lot of eyeballs and attention to the sport, and I love that.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
