Julianna Pena thinks she’s been in Amanda Nunes’ head for a long time.
Peña (11-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) did the unthinkable when she dethroned Nunes (21-5 MMA, 14-2 UFC) to capture the bantamweight title at UFC 269. The pair are set to rematch later this year.
Peña was able to break Nunes with her pressure and eventually submitted her in Round 2. But Peña says the process of breaking down the former dual-champ started a while back when she was consistently calling her out.
“I think I’ve always had the mental edge when it comes to Amanda,” Peña said in an interview with Morning Kombat. “I’ve been calling out this fight for the last five years and she hasn’t wanted to fight me. She’s always made every excuse, like me not making myself worthy for her. Or, ‘Oh, I’m going to find Ronda (Rousey) instead.’ Or just finding a way to get out of every fight that we have. Obviously, what I feel and what I say and how I approach things bothers her because she’s made that very clear.”
Peña just concluded the filming of Season 30 of “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite Nunes, who pointed to knee injuries as the reason why she lost their first fight. The first of the 12-episode season will debut on May 3 and air on ESPN+.
The newly crowned champion is expecting Nunes to come back with a vengeance and hopes they can run things back by fall.
“I think I lit a gas can of fire right underneath her behind,” Peña said. “She is going to be more focused than she has ever been. I think she is going to be the best Amanda that she’s ever been, which is funny because that is what she said she is going to do the first time. So now I have to be like, ‘OK, this time it’s serious. This time she’s being for real.’
“She’s coming at 110 percent, and I’m going to get the best version of Amanda Nunes. That’s great, because I was ready for that best version of Amanda Nunes in August. I was ready for that best version of Amanda Nunes in December. Whenever that date happens, hopefully in September on the Jon Jones card, I will be ready for that best version of Amanda Nunes.”
With Nunes being dubbed the greatest female fighter of all time, does that mean Peña took that title too? “The Venezuelan Vixen” prefers another label.
“Do you think that when you beat the G.O.A.T., that you become the G.O.A.T. slayer?” Peña asked. “Well, then I think I might be the G.O.A.T. slayer.”
