Julianna Peña respects Ronda Rousey’s contributions to MMA but criticizes her for not taking accountability and leaving the sport after her losses, suggesting that someone else would have eventually paved the way for women in the UFC.
Julianna Peña has nothing but respect for Ronda Rousey’s contributions to MMA. It’s Rousey’s departure from the business that continues to rub her the wrong way.
“The Venezuelan Vixen” joined a chorus of voices weighing in on Rousey’s comments. These remarks came in association with promoting Rousey’s recently published autobiography.
The former UFC star threw shade at fighters, executives, and the media. She believes they wronged her during the darkest moments of her MMA career.
From one former bantamweight champion to another, Peña sympathizes with Rousey’s mega stardom. However, she wishes Rousey would look inward more when it comes to criticism.
“I will say, definitely, weight of the world on her shoulders,” Peña said on The MMA Hour. “But it comes with the territory.”
Peña shared a saying she often uses: “It sounds like an excuse.” She emphasizes accountability and feels Rousey lacks it.
“Especially if you lose, everybody loses,” Peña added. “You get back up on the horse; you ride again.”
She found it distasteful that Rousey left the sport after losing without returning. To Peña, it shows a certain mentality.
Rousey’s fighting career saw a stunning fall from grace when Holly Holm knocked her out at UFC 193 in November 2015. That loss ended her three-year run as champion and led to seclusion after intense media attention.
Thirteen months later, Rousey returned only to lose to Amanda Nunes in just 48 seconds at UFC 207. That marked the end for Rousey in MMA.
She later had a successful run with WWE that ended in 2023. Since then, she has shown no indication of returning to combat sports.
Much of Rousey’s recent ire has been directed at the media. She feels they turned on her after her first loss.
Peña wonders why Rousey couldn’t channel that negativity into motivation for a comeback. “It’s a tool,” Peña said. “You can use it to fuel you or sabotage you.”
“What are you going to do?” she continued rhetorically. “Fight back or crumble?”
Despite appreciating what Ronda did for women in MMA, Peña had personal run-ins with her that were unpleasant. This influences how she feels about her compared to others.
Peña won The Ultimate Fighter 18 as Miesha Tate‘s No. 1 pick—Ronda’s longtime rival coach. She advanced by defeating Shayna Baszler, one of Ronda’s close friends and top picks.
Despite their beef—Peña frequently campaigned to fight an active Ronda—she admires her past contributions but believes someone else would have eventually led women into UFC even without "Rowdy."
“I don’t believe that,” Peña said when asked if women wouldn’t be part of UFC without Ronda. “I think it was just a matter of time.”