Julianna Peña is able to put Amanda Nunes into the rear-view.
On Saturday, Nunes efficiently retained her UFC bantamweight title with a dominant unanimous determination win over Irene Aldana in the primary occasion of UFC 289. Instantly after the win, Nunes retired from MMA, going out on prime as an undisputed two-division champion. Most fighters celebrated Nunes’ exit and her singular profession.
Peña was not one in all them.
Sitting cageside for the struggle, Peña instantly responded to Nunes’ retirement with derision. Talking Monday on The MMA Hour, she almost did greater than that.
“There was part of me that basically wished to storm the cage,” Peña stated. “I had so many individuals like, ‘Sure, we’ll do it, we’ll throw you over the gate!’ Then my coach was like, ‘Don’t do it. Be elegant and don’t do it.’ So I let her have my second, but it surely was actually troublesome for me as a result of there have been so many instances the place my urge was to go, ‘Now’s the time, go, go go.’
“However on the finish of the day, she’s retired, she’s off within the sundown, she’s useless to me at this level, and we’ve simply received to maintain the division shifting. Now we’re entering into day one of many ‘Peña Energy’ period. I’m the champ, I’ve all the time been the champ in my coronary heart and in my head. … So it’s only a matter of time earlier than the belt’s round my waist once more.”
Peña and Nunes share a heated rivalry that goes again all the way in which to UFC 200. For years, Peña pursued a struggle with Nunes, and when she lastly received it, “The Venezuelan Vixen” backed up her many statements, submitting Nunes at UFC 269 in one of many greatest upsets in MMA historical past. The 2 rematched at UFC 277 with Nunes profitable a dominant determination, and thus they had been anticipated to complete their trilogy at UFC 289, till a rib harm compelled Peña out. As an alternative, Aldana stepped in — and now Peña won’t ever get the possibility to avenge her personal loss, which irks the previous champion.
“I’ve been telling you from the start: She’s been desirous to retire, she was one foot out the door your entire time,” Peña stated. “She even stated it herself, she was going to retire after she tapped to me, however she didn’t as a result of she determined I’m too handsome and he or she doesn’t need me to have the belt. Significantly, she’s received an issue with me.
“On the finish of the day, Amanda didn’t need the struggle. The entire time the UFC tried requested her to make the trilogy, she didn’t wish to make it, and so they made that clear to me. They stated, ‘She doesn’t wish to struggle you.’ That’s why it took so lengthy to e-book the trilogy, and after I fell out due to harm, she stated it was ‘much less heavy’ for her. It’s much less heavy for her as a result of she is aware of what’s in danger. She owes my coaching companion that win bonus as a result of if I confirmed up on June 10, there’s no means she would have received and he or she wouldn’t be getting that cash, interval.
“On the finish of the day, it doesn’t matter,” Peña added. “All of that is utterly irrelevant. What’s related now’s that she’s gone. She’s useless to me. I don’t need something to do with this lady now or for the foreseeable future.”
Even with Nunes now gone, Peña finds herself in the identical place she was earlier than: Presumptive No. 1 Contender.
Peña remains to be recovering from her rib harm however stated she ought to be capable to struggle earlier than the tip of the 12 months, and when she does, she expects it is going to be in opposition to Raquel Pennington for the vacant belt.
“Most likely Raquel. I believe I’ll struggle Raquel,” Peña stated. “She’s performed sufficient to deserve the title shot. She’s very sturdy, very powerful, and I believe that’s greater than doubtless the struggle that they’ll make. … I’m anticipating that it’s going to be Raquel, particularly as a result of Raquel was alleged to struggle Irene. However you by no means know what the machine goes to do.”
Pennington is at present on a five-fight profitable streak and the No. 2-ranked contender within the UFC ladies’s bantamweight rankings. She was set to face Aldana in a title elimination bout this summer season till Peña’s harm compelled the UFC to scramble.
And if Nunes modifications her thoughts and decides that she’s not fairly performed but after Peña reclaims the bantamweight belt? Peña would nonetheless love the shot to settle their beef.
“Hopefully she comes again,” Peña stated. “That may be best-case situation so we will squash this factor and end this trilogy. It was actually going to be the best trilogy in ladies’s MMA. It’s by no means occurred earlier than and he or she misplaced that chance to make it occur. I misplaced that that chance as a result of I received injured, she that chance as a result of she desires to retire early. I say she took the coward’s means out, and that’s all there’s to it.
“On the finish of the day, the lady’s useless to me. We’e received to maintain this division shifting, and I’m going to do my job to maintain the division thrilling.”
