Julianna Pena will be ready for all the big business in the women’s bantamweight division if she regains the title against Raquel Pennington at UFC 307.
Peña (11-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will return to competition for the first time since losing the belt to Amanda Nunes in July 2022 when she challenges current champ Pennington (16-8 MMA, 13-5 UFC) in the co-headliner of the Oct. 5 card, which takes place at Delta Center in Salt Lake City (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+).
According to Peña, she has had to “practice patience” during the layoff while nursing injuries and waiting for the right date to arise. It’s all here now, and she intends to bring the gold back where she feels it belongs.
“Peña two-time (champion) is awesome, and to win a championship for a second time is just an amazing feat,” Peña told MMA Junkie on Friday. “To be able to climb that get that belt strapped around my waist again. That’s going to be quite the accomplishment, and I will be proud of both (of my title wins). I think that they will both mean a lot to me, no matter what.
“To be able to do it again and now that (my daughter) is older and show her what all of this hard work and blood, sweat and tears was for. All the sacrifices, all the dedications is what’s going to make it all that much sweeter.”
If Peña is successful in her mission to bring the belt back in her possession, a world of opportunity will open up. Peña said there is a four-women tournament of sorts going down at UFC 307, with former two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison set to take on Ketlen Vieira on the main card.
“I don’t think – I know for a fact that they told whoever is going to be the winner of that fight (between Harrison and Vieira) is going to face me for the belt,” Peña said. “That will be my title defense. So yes, that’s exactly what’s happening.”
If it’s Harrison (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) who comes out the winner against Vieira (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC), there would be a lot of intrigue in a championship fight with the two-time Olympic gold medalist. Peña knows it would be a big deal, but she said her top preference for a first title defense would be something even more significant.
Peña is still of the belief retired former champion Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC) is still interested in fighting, and she is merely waiting for the right moment to return. Nunes and Peña currently have one win each over the other in their rivalry, and Peña thinks the trilogy is essential.
“I’m hoping Amanda will want to come out of retirement, and I’m betting she will be there, and she’ll be watching very intently,” Peña said. “I don’t believe she is truly as done as she claims as she is. I think that she misses the sport, I think that she doesn’t know what to do with herself now that she’s not fighting and I think that there will be a little green, envious monster in her saying that, ‘I can go back there. I can do this.’ Her thinking she can beat me.
“I know she probably feels that she doesn’t have anything to prove against me. I know that she is not particularly fond of Kayla more than she is not fond of me. But my goal will be to get Amanda to get back inside the octagon with me, and that will be the biggest women’s fight in UFC history.”
Regardless of what situation arises and who the UFC puts in front of her as champion, Peña said she has one overarching goal for this reign that did not happen the first time she carried the strap.
“I want to defend my belt,” Peña said. “That’s all I care about. Defending the belt. I need to get my hand raised on Saturday night and after I get that hand raised – I don’t need, I will get my hand raised on Saturday night – and after that I will defend my belt and I will be able to hold onto it longer than I did the last time.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
