VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Pena wants her trilogy against Amanda Nunes, and is prepared to be her biggest fan at UFC 289.
Before a rib injury forced her to the sideline, Pena (11-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) was set to share the main event spotlight in a championship trilogy bout against Nunes (22-5 MMA, 15-2 UFC). Mexico’s Irene Aldana filled the role of title challenger, but make no mistake about it, Pena doesn’t want to see the title change hands Saturday evening at Rogers Arena.
“Irene better not harm one hair on that girl’s head because I want my trilogy, that’s all I have to say about that,” Pena said during a Q&A before the UFC 289 ceremonial weigh-ins.
In their first meeting, Pena shocked the world at UFC 269 by submitting Nunes in the second round. The immediate rematch came at UFC 277, where Nunes avenged her loss in a clear unanimous decision. While Pena’s injury delayed the trilogy, but that hasn’t stopped Nunes from mentioning her foe during fight week ahead of her upcoming bout against Aldana.
When asked what she thinks about Nunes’ comments, Pena found the remarks humorous.
“I think I saw in a clip she said, ‘I can kick her ass anytime I want,'” Pena said. “Except for the time that you couldn’t when it really counted. So, I really don’t know what she’s talking about. As far as I’m concerned, we’re 1-1, and I actually have a leg up on her because I was not stopped, I was not finished, I was not down and out.
“Like Rocky said, it’s not about how many times you get hit, it’s about how many times you get hit and keep coming forward – and she did not stop me. I was able to stop her, I was able to put her in the hospital, and nobody else can say that.”
Ultimately, Pena wants only one outcome on Saturday evening: A Nunes victory. So much so that Pena is prepared to cheer on her rival for the duration of the contest. But after that, it’s right back to being a title challenger who wants to recapture her bantamweight title.
“I’m not done with her,” Pena said. “This is unfinished business and I’m actually here to make sure that from 9-10 p.m. tomorrow on Saturday, only from 9-10 p.m. on Saturday, not 10:01. From 9-10, I will be rooting for Amanda Nunes. I will be her one biggest fan in the world and after that, you’re going to see the biggest turncoat you’ve ever seen.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.
