Julianna Pena News

Chris Taylor - October 3, 2020

Julianna Pena was hoping to solidify herself as a top bantamweight contender by scoring a win over Germaine de Randamie this evening at UFC Fight Island 4. Pena (9-4 MMA) was returning to action for the first time in over a year at tonight’s UFC Fight Island 4 event. In her most recent effort in July of 2019, Pena scored a unanimous decision victory over Nicco Montano.

Chris Taylor - October 3, 2020

Tonight’s UFC Fight Island 4 event features a key women’s bantamweight bout featuring former featherweight champ Germaine de Randamie taking on Julianna Pena. De Randamie (9-4 MMA) enters tonight’s bout with Pena looking to rebound following a unanimous decision loss to Amanda Nunes in her bid for the bantamweight title at UFC 245. Prior to that, ‘GDR’ was coming off a 16-second TKO victory over Aspen Ladd.

Adam Martin - July 26, 2020

An important women’s bantamweight bout between top contenders Julianna Pena and Germaine de Randamie has been added to an upcoming UFC event this fall. MMAjunkie.com was the first to report the matchup between Pena and de Randamie. The fight will take place on October 3 at an event that is not yet official. The location and venue of the event are not yet known, but the report says that either the UFC Apex in Las Vegas or Fight Island in Abu Dhabi could play host to the event and therefore the fight.

Adam Martin - January 10, 2020

An intriguing women’s bantamweight bout between top contenders Julianna Pena and Aspen Ladd has been added to UFC Columbus. UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday, March 28 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The main event is a heavyweight bout between title contenders Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Pena vs. Ladd is expected to take place on the main card.

Tom Taylor - May 29, 2019

Julianna Pena has not fought since January of 2017, when she was submitted by Valentina Shevchenko in a bantamweight number-one contender fight. In the time since then, the talented bantamweight contender has become a mother and put in work as a commentator for Combate Americas. That being said, it sounds like Pena is getting the itch to fight again. Speaking on her official Instagram account recently, “The Venezuelan Vixen” updated on her busy life, and discussed her eventual return to the cage.

Drake Riggs - September 19, 2018

The women’s bantamweight division has thinned out over the years after starting out as the thriving inaugural female UFC division. Things are starting to get interesting again though and that can be contributed to prospects making waves and some old staples making returns. One of the missing faces from the usual mix of top contenders has been the first female fighter to ever win a season of The Ultimate Fighter, the season 18 winner Julianna Pena.

Drake Riggs - January 24, 2018

Last week, top-ranked UFC Bantamweight contender and The Ultimate Fighter season 18 winner, Julianna Pena gave birth to baby girl, Issa Cruz. https://twitter.com/ufc/status/955986379724509184

Justin Golightly - October 14, 2017

It wasn’t too long ago that Julianna Pena was knocking on the door to a women’s UFC bantamweight title shot. Things didn’t end up going her way in the Octagon in her last fight, but everything else seems to be doing awesome. She’s a regular part of Combate America’s successful fight cards doing commentary work and now she’s about to take a huge step in her life. Julianna Pena announced on her Instagram that she’s pregnant with a baby girl. However, if any of her division’s fighters think that motherhood is going to save them from a fight, then they’re wrong.  “My goal right now is to have my baby, love my baby, and get back into the Octagon. The division definitely needs me. My main goal is to rematch Valentina [Shevchenko] in my first fight back. I messed up in my last fight, I was overzealous. Having a daughter on the way not only rejuvenated me personally, it gave me so much more to fight for. I’m excited to start this new phase in my life and UFC has been so supportive of me. Dana White was stoked, he loves kids, and told me fighting will always be here waiting for me.” 

Tom Taylor - January 30, 2017

On Saturday night, in the main event of the UFC’s latest trip to Denver, Julianna Peña stepped into the cage with dangerous Kyrgyzstani striker Valentina Shevchenko. She entered this bout on an impressive four-fight win-streak, and if she’d extended that streak to five with a win over Shevchenko, she would have earned herself a shot at Amanda Nunes and the UFC women’s bantamweight title she guards so ferociously. Regrettably for Peña and her many fans, Saturday night was not her night. In advance of the fight, the consensus seemed to be that she had a significant grappling edge over her striking-based foe. In the end, however, Shevchenko was able to succeed on two takedowns in the first round, and in the second, lock up an arm-bar for the win. And just like that Peña’s title dreams came to a skittering – if temporary – halt.

Tom Taylor - January 29, 2017

Last night, the UFC touched down in The Mile-High City, Denver, Colorado, with UFC on Fox 23. This 12-fight card was an epic one, as a whopping eight of its bouts ended with stoppages, including the evening’s main event, which pitted Kyrgyzstani striker Valentina Shevchenko against American grappling specialist Julianna Peña. In advance of this fight, the striking advantage seemed to rely firmly in the corner of Shevchenko, while Peña was believed to have an advantage on the mat. Ultimately, however, Shevchenko was able to showcase some real evolutions in her game, taking Peña down twice in the first round, and submitting her with a dazzling armbar in the second. The tap occurred at the 4:29 mark of the second frame.

Russell Ess - January 26, 2017

https://youtu.be/ytrcJz873vI?t=5m17s #2 UFC ranked women’s bantamweight Julianna Pena is set to fight #1 UFC ranked Valentina Shevchenko at UFC on FOX 23 on January 28 in Denver Colorado.

bjpenndotcom - January 24, 2017

While UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes was thrust into the public spotlight when she defeated former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in just 48 seconds at UFC 207, top ranked women’s bantamweight Julianna Pena believes that there was a void left behind by Rousey. A void she intends to fill.

Tom Taylor - January 16, 2017

On January 28, the UFC will return to Fox with an exciting card. This card will be headlined by a women’s bantamweight contender bout between TUF winner Julianna Peña and Kyrgyzstani striker Valentina Shevchenko. In advance of this high-stakes fight, which is likely to produce the next challenger for champion Amanda Nunes, Peña says that she hopes fans are grateful that she accepted the fight, as she believes she’d already be scheduled for a title shot if she’d opted to wait rather than stay active. Peña explained this feeling in an interview with BloodyElbow.com.

bjpenndotcom - January 14, 2017

Top ranked UFC women’s bantamweight Julianna Pena has continued to make waves in interviews as she has continued her verbal onslaught of former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey leading up to, and in the wake, of Rousey’s return to the Octagon at UFC 207. Prior to Rousey’s return at UFC 207, Pena called out Ronda Rousey in numerous interviews in hopes of securing a fight with the former champ when she returned to the Octagon given their beef when Pena was competing on The Ultimate Fighter. After Rousey stepped into the cage with Amanda Nunes and was TKOd in just 48 seconds, Pena continued her verbal onslaught of the former champ despite the fact that she is currently booked to fight Valentina Shevchenko at ‘UFC Fight Night: Denver’ later this month.

bjpenndotcom - January 11, 2017

Julianna Pena is currently on quite the win streak in the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division, winning four straight fights, three of which coming since she made her return to the Octagon following an injury layoff from 2013-2015. Most recently, ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ competed at UFC 200, where she picked up a dominant unanimous decision win over Cat Zingano. While the win cemented Pena’s place near the top of the UFC’s bantamweight division on the UFC’s official rankings, Pena is currently slated for a bantamweight #1 contender fight against Valentina Shevchenko at ‘UFC Fight Night: Denver’ on January 28th. Going into the fight, it’s no secret that the winner could very well see themselves earn a title fight with women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes.

Tom Taylor - January 11, 2017

In a few short weeks, in the main event of the UFC’s latest Fox broadcast, The Ultimate Fighter 18 winner Julianna Pena will battle fellow bantamweight contender Valentina Shevchenko. The winner of this fight is more than likely to get the next shot at reigning bantamweight champion, Amanda Nunes. While Pena is obviously eager for her long-awaited crack at UFC gold, she explained on a recent episode of Brian Stann’s radio show Toe-2-Toe on SiriusXM Rush that she wishes the bantamweight crown was still owned by former champion Ronda Rousey. Apparently, Pena has wanted to fight Rousey since her days on The Ultimate Fighter 18– a season Rousey coached. The top-ranked bantamweight also feels that Rousey has been avoiding her.

Tom Taylor - December 6, 2016

With Miesha Tate retired and Holly Holm on a two-fight losing streak, Julianna Peña and Valentina Shevchenko stand out as the two best female bantamweights on earth outside of Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey. According to a Monday afternoon report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, they could soon be pitted against each other. Not officially done quite yet, but hearing some very good vital signs regarding a fight between Julianna Pena and Valentina Shevchenko.

bjpenndotcom - October 19, 2016

Julianna Pena has been on a tear of the women’s bantamweight division as of late, going on a 4-fight win streak that has seen her go on a 4-fight win streak over the course of the past 3 years. After winning ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Season 18’, Pena was forced to take two years away from competition. In her return fight back in the Octagon at ‘UFC Fight Night: Fairfax’, Pena picked up an impressive TKO win over Milana Dudieva to earn herself a performance of the night bonus.