Former UFC bantamweight champion Julianna Peña is hoping to return to the ring for a match with former two-division champ Amanda Nunes or a fight with Mayra Bueno Silva for the now-vacant title.
Ex-UFC bantamweight champ Julianna Peña is eager to get back in the ring. She’s eyeing International Fight Week for a rematch with ex-two-division champ Amanda Nunes. If not Nunes, she’s game for a bout with Mayra Bueno Silva for the now-open title.
Silva’s up against Raquel Pennington this Saturday for the bantamweight championship at UFC 297. But it seems she’s got a bit of a beef with Peña. Peña claims it all started when Silva got caught with a banned substance in her system.
Peña’s not shy about her role in the upcoming title fight. “It’s not my fault that I’m the most interesting thing about this fight, literally,” she said on The MMA Hour. “They want to be me, but there’s only one of one.”
She’s itching to get back in the ring. “Of course I want to be in there. I want to be in there every single time I can. I would literally fight every single day if I could.” But she’s realistic about the challenges. “The reality is, this is a violent sport, and unfortunately, nobody can make me bleed my own blood except me. So I am my biggest enemy here and haven’t been able to get healthy.”
Peña’s back on her regular training schedule. She’s doing everything she can to make a comeback, possibly as early as UFC 300. “I’m ready to go, I’m getting back in there, and maybe we can get Amanda out of retirement and get on that UFC 300 card,” she said.
Silva’s called Pennington a tougher fight for the belt, but sees Peña as a “money” fight. Peña agrees, recognizing that she can sell a fight as well as anyone.
“This chick is the president of my fan club,” Peña said. “She is my biggest supporter. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and unfortunately, that mediocrity is trying to get to greatness. … She’s like that JV, bootleg version of myself in thinking that if you just squawk enough, you’ll get that title shot.”
Peña thinks Silva believes that if she talks enough, she’ll get a title shot. “And lo and behold, you get a failed drug test and you get a title shot. The stars are aligning for her, and that’s great. But I don’t necessarily think it’s going to be as easy as it thinks it is. … This girl doesn’t even think she could beat Amanda and thinks I’m the easy fight. Whatever.”
Despite their rivalry, Peña is rooting for Silva to win against Pennington, the No. 2 women’s bantamweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. “She’s so hungry for it,” Peña said. “Literally, I live rent-free in her head and her whole objective is to fight me. So when you want something bad enough, you’re going to find a way to get it.”
Peña believes she’s gotten under Silva’s skin by criticizing her admitted use of the banned substance Ritalin to treat symptoms of ADHD. Silva’s most recent win over ex-champ Holly Holm was overturned by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Peña didn’t mince words about the situation.
“You can’t drink a cup of coffee without letting USADA know,” Pena said. “You can’t leave your house without letting them know where you’re going, so for her to fail and to not declare this medication that she uses for depression or whatever…look, nobody takes mental health more seriously than I do, and that’s why I’ve taken it upon myself to speak with her medical team, to up this dosage, and you’ve got a connection with Better Health, right? [A] promo code we could maybe give to her for after this beating that’s going to happen to her, because I’m going to make her dreams come true of fighting me.”
“She’s going to need to up that dosage, and she’s really going to be in that depression after we face each other.”