Julianna Pena News

Adam Martin - November 2, 2020

UFC women’s bantamweight contender Aspen Ladd is hoping the promotion can match her up against Julianna Pena or Raquel Pennington next. Ladd was supposed to fight Pena earlier this year but her opponent was forced to withdraw from the contest. Ladd was then booked to fight veteran Sara McMann, but this time it was Ladd who had to withdraw due to a severe knee injury. Ladd is now recovering from her injuries and she hopes to make a full recovery so she can return to the Octagon in 2021.

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 - June 19, 2019

Former Ultimate Fighter winner Julianna Pena has not fought since January 2017, but she’ll be making her return to the Octagon next month at UFC Sacramento. According to Damon Martin of MMAFighting.com, Pena is stepping up on short notice to replace the injured Sara McMann and take on Nicco Montano in a women’s bantamweight bout at UFC Fight Night 155, which takes place July 13 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.

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. Congratulations @VenezuelanVixen! 👶💕 pic.twitter.com/xBsk85r9hV

Scott Hernandez - February 2, 2017

This past weekend at ‘UFC Fight Night: Denver’, top ranked women’s bantamweight contender Valentina Shevchenko secured herself a title fight with UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes as she picked up a spectacular submission win over Julianna Pena.

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.

Tom Taylor - January 23, 2017

https://youtu.be/aBFsGxDobxs With Bellator 170 in the rear-view mirror, the MMA spotlight now shifts to UFC Denver, a stacked card that will air on Fox this Saturday, January 28.

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.

Scott Hernandez - 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.

Scott Hernandez - 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.

Scott Hernandez - December 15, 2016

Top ranked women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Pena has been on a tear of the women’s bantamweight division recently. After winning the Ultimate Fighter season 18 by defeating Jessica Rakoczy in 2013, Pena was forced to sit on the sidelines with injuries for nearly 2 years. In early 2015, she returned to the Octagon when he fought Milana Dudieva at ‘UFC Fight Night: Fairfax’. Pena won the fight in the very first round via TKO. In her next Octagon outing, Pena successfully defeated Jessia Eye at UFC 192. Most recently, Pena picked up arguably the biggest win of her career when she defeated Cat Zingano via unanimous decision earlier this year at UFC 200.

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.