Former UFC bantamweight champion Julianna Pena claimed Amanda Nunes was reluctant to agree to a trilogy fight at UFC 289, and was forced to do so by the UFC.
Former UFC bantamweight champ Julianna Pena claimed it wasn’t Amanda Nunes’ idea to compete in a trilogy at UFC 289, as the two-division champ all but refused the idea. Pena shared this on The MMA Hour, stating that Nunes wanted her to fight Irene Aldana first. “We’re 1-1. This is the biggest women’s MMA fight in history. It’s a Rocky story,” Pena emphasized, adding that the UFC understands the magnitude of this fight.
Pena, known for actively promoting her fights, repeatedly accused Nunes of avoiding a showdown and even called for the UFC to strip Nunes of her belt for stalling before their December 2021 face-off at UFC 269. In a shocking upset, Pena won a second-round submission to capture the bantamweight belt. However, a rematch seven months later at UFC 277 resulted in a decisive win for Nunes. Reports suggested the promotion sought to book the surging Aldana against Nunes in March at UFC 285, but the bout was never announced, and a heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane took the top booking.
According to Pena, she was asked to fight Aldana and clashed with the UFC over the choice. Eventually, the promotion shifted to a trilogy, but Nunes couldn’t be convinced to agree. Pena stated, “I said [to the UFC], ‘I’m not fighting Irene, I’m fighting Amanda.’ When she decides that she’s gonna take that fight, you give me a call because that’s the only fight that I’m taking.” Pena also revealed that the UFC threatened to strip Nunes of her title if she didn’t agree to the fight.
Pena went on to express her frustration at those who consider her UFC 269 win a fluke, pointing out that she had explained her strategy for defeating Nunes in previous interviews. She also felt that their second fight at UFC 277 was much closer than people gave her credit for. Pena believes Nunes’ unwillingness to take another fight against her is because she knows it will be a difficult and risky battle. “She knows that she’s gonna have to work hard for her money, and she doesn’t want to put herself in that risk,” Pena concluded.