“Don’t ever doubt me again”- Julianna Pena shocks the world after beating Amanda Nunes
Julianna Pena shocks the world after pulling the biggest upset in UFC history.
Julianna Pena pulled off one of the biggest upsets in mixed martial arts history to score a second-round submission win over Amanda Nunes and win the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 269 on Saturday.
Pena looked to be in trouble in the first round against one of the most dominant champions the sport has ever seen, but the 32-year-old came storming back in round two, rocking Nunes with combinations. Nunes’ five-year reign at the top came to an end when she tapped out at the 3:23 mark of the second round as Pena sank in a rear naked choke to hand the Brazilian her first defeat since September 2014.
“I told you, don’t ever doubt me again. Willpower, strength, and determination will take you places,” Pena said in a post-fight interview in the cage. “You literally have the ability to do anything you want in this life, and I just proved that tonight.”
The fight started with a pretty grappling-heavy flavor. While the ground game was potentially Pena’s best chance to win on paper, it was a strong round for the Lioness. She maintained a dominant position throughout the round and successfully defended Pena’s Kimura attempt at the end of the round.
She got in Nunes’ face and refused to relent. Pena utilized a pesky jab to keep the pressure on the Lioness as the two got into a slugfest. That kind of fight favored Pena and it looked like she may score a knockout victory.
Instead, she opted for a takedown and quickly went to work on a rear-naked choke. Seconds later, Nunes was tapping and the division got a new champion for the first time since 2016.
“Yes (there will be) an immediate rematch,” Julianna Pena expects an immediate rematch after pulling the biggest upset against Amanda Nunes
The Venezuelan Vixen has been calling for a fight against Amanda Nunes for quite some time. As it turns out, that confidence carried her in a big way come fight night. This is among the most shocking upsets in UFC title fight history. For context, Holly Holm was +850 when she pulled off her upset win over Ronda Rousey. DraftKings Sportsbook had Pena’s odds against Nunes at +650.
Pena as champion opens the doors for lots of former challengers who had been shut out by Nunes but the first order of business is likely to be an immediate rematch. That’s the standard operating procedure for a champion of her caliber.
The new champ already addressed it before her UFC 269 win. “Yes (there will be) an immediate rematch,” Pena told the media on Thursday. “And when I win that fight I will be 11-2 in the division, which is a better bantamweight record in the history of the bantamweight division. As far as walking up to 145 (for a second belt), I don’t know, I’m pretty comfortable in knowing that 135 is my proper weight class. But we can cross that bridge when we get there.”
With Pena now proving her fire for this fight was enough to score the win, that’s a fight that would carry a lot of intrigue for fans.
Kushagra Sharma
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