Even after a lopsided loss in the UFC 316
co-main event, Julianna
Pena is determined to remain in the women’s bantamweight title
picture.
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Pena suffered a second-round submission defeat to Kayla
Harrison on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New
Jersey, ending her second reign as 135-pound queen in short order.
“The Venezuelan Vixen” is already eyeing another title shot,
however.
“Thank you to the fans who lifted me with your love and
encouragement during this [fight camp] I love you all and feel so
grateful for all the support and energy you guys give me—It truly
means the world. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get the job done. I’m
super disappointed but hats off to Kayla on her win!” Pena wrote on
Instagram.
“Time to get healed up and get ready for her next fight because I’m
calling dibs on the winner.”
Harrison is expected to face former two-division champ Amanda
Nunes later this year. The Brazilian recently revealed that she
is ending a retirement that began in June 2023 in an attempt to
reclaim the bantamweight title. Harrison and Nunes squared off in
the Octagon following the two-time Olympic gold medalist’s victory
over Pena at UFC 316.
The 35-year-old Pena might have a more legitimate claim to
contention if Nunes can dethrone Harrison. Pena initially became
bantamweight champion with one of the biggest upsets in MMA history
at UFC 269, when she submitted Nunes in the second round of their
December 2021 clash. While Nunes defeated Pena in emphatic fashion
in their rematch at UFC 277, a trilogy beween the two rivals
wouldn’t be entirely unrealistic given the promotion’s matchmaking
tendencies.