Remember UFC 269? Jon Anik practically shouted into the mic, “Julianna Pena has shocked the world,” right after one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. Amanda Nunes took a huge second loss in 2022—her first was way back in 2014 against Cat Zingano at UFC 178. Julianna Pena was definitely the underdog, but ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ fought through all the odds and snatched the women’s bantamweight title
Nunes came in as a -1125 favorite against her opponent, which meant no one gave Pena even an ounce of credit to pull off the upset. So when it actually happened, people who backed her really cashed in. But what happened next? She lost the rematch to ‘The Lioness,’ took a short break, then came back strong to beat Raquel Pennington at UFC 307. Now, a similar pattern seems to be emerging heading into her UFC 316 title defense against Kayla Harrison. Chael Sonnen had some interesting things to say about it.
Chael Sonnen reveals personal conversation with Julianna Pena before Nunes fight
On his YouTube video, Chael Sonnen kicked off the conversation by making a bold pick: “Guys, I’m going with Julianna Peña” over Olympic judoka and former PFL champ Kayla Harrison. Since that choice raised some eyebrows, ‘The Bad Guy’ shared a story to explain. He revealed a moment of self-belief that ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ had before facing Nunes, a mindset that helped her pull off that huge win.
Sonnen continued on his YouTube video, “Julianna was a lamb walking into slaughter. Her opponent was Amanda Nunes. Now Julianna had a tough time securing that fight. Now, you’d imagine every time Julianna fights, that’s gonna be a big fight. But it wasn’t yet, I was on the phone with Julianna, and we were strategizing a bit. Just a little bit of how to get attention from Amanda and how to be the one riding passenger seat in the champion’s car. So, when this all got one and she came up on top of it. I call her up to congratulate her. She thanks me for the congratulations.”
That was ‘The Bad Guy’ explaining how Pena managed to get the job done against Amanda Nunes. And as we know, she ended up winning the fight. Going up against the best female champion the UFC has ever seen had to be nerve-wracking, but she convinced Sonnen so much during a FaceTime call that he went to ESPN and told Jon Anik he had picked her over Nunes. Anik apparently responded, “Chael, you’re the only one I’ve heard say Julianna was going to win.”
MMA: UFC 269-Nunes vs Pena, Dec 11, 2021 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Amanda Nunes fights against Julianna Pena during UFC 269 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports, 11.12.2021 20:57:15, 17343078, Amanda Nunes, T-Mobile Arena, NPStrans, MMA PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xStephenxR.xSylvaniex 17343078
He further added, “Julianna told me, ‘Chael, I’m going to beat her.’ She then broke down, why? She broke down things about takedown, she had broke down something she had noticed from the top position that Amanda struggled with. But, in the end, I’m looking Julianna right in the eye, it’s on FaceTime, I’m looking right in the eye. And she tells me, ‘I’m going to win this fight.’ And I went to the media, it was time to pick, and I said Julianna. Julianna won. It was among the top three biggest upsets of all time.”
That was the moment when ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ truly became the star she is today. It’s her self-confidence and belief in her ability to turn the tide from any position that really sets her apart. During that bout, she managed to take Nunes’ back and hold it long enough to lock in the choke—that’s not just skill, that’s pure grit. Still, Peña feels she never got the credit she truly deserved for actually submitting the GOAT.
Julianna thinks she doesn’t get enough respect for beating Amanda Nunes
Julianna Pena may have been the one to briefly halt Amanda Nunes’s reign, but her glory was short-lived. ‘The Lioness’ came back with a dominant performance and took it all back, leaving many to call that UFC 269 win a fluke. That’s when the doubts started creeping in again, especially with someone like Kayla Harrison now in the picture, bringing her own aura of intimidation. But the former champ isn’t backing down. She’s here to remind everyone of that upset all over again.
Pena at UFC 316 Media day said, “I thought beating the greatest of all time was going to give me that respect, and it didn’t, so you never know. I say this often, but it’s so true, it’s never enough. It doesn’t matter what you do, it’s never enough. Everybody’s always going to want more from you.”
It’s true that Peña has never really been the fan favorite. But this time, the odds are even steeper—Harrison is a massive six-to-one favorite against her. It’s starting to feel a lot like the lead-up to the Nunes fight all over again. And once again, She has the chance to flip the script—only this time, as the reigning champ. The real question is there any chance of pulling off another upset?
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