Julianna Peña believes Amanda Nunes owes her another fight.
“The Venezuelan Vixen” posted an impassioned plea on Instagram for a trilogy bout with her rival, with their UFC bantamweight championship series tied at one win apiece. Peña submitted Nunes to capture the title in a stunning upset at UFC 269 in December 2021, then dropped the belt back to Nunes at UFC 277 this past July.
In her post, Peña insists that her next fight should be with Nunes given the speed with which she accepted an immediate rematch with “The Lioness.”
“Everyone keeps asking me what’s next,” Peña wrote. “I’m getting my belt back that’s what’s next! A trilogy with [Nunes] is the fight to make. I did everything I said I was going to do going into that first fight. I gave Amanda the immediate rematch within six months and man maybe I should have sat out for two yaers like she does?”
Following a lopsided unanimous decision win (all three judges gave every round to Nunes) over Peña at UFC 277, Nunes said in her post-fight interview that she was looking forward to returning to Brazil and getting some rest, leaving the timetable for her return a mystery. That isn’t sitting well with Peña, who has already spent a significant amount of time on the sidelines due to injury throughout her UFC career.
Peña defeated Nunes in the first meeting with a non-stop offense that left the longtime champion looking flat in the fateful second round and Peña is certain she can replicate that performance.
“She had to go home and revamp her entire style to beat me,” Peña wrote. “I take it as a compliment. She outsmarted me the second time I give her that. We are 1-1 and this time I will not miss. [UFC], the trilogy needs to happen.”
