Julianna Pena Open to Amanda Nunes Rematch: ‘Whenever They Want to Do It I’m Ready’

When you beat an opponent that was widely regarded as the greatest female fighter of all-time, you get a little bit more power at the bargaining table. That doesn’t mean Julianna Pena is going to make Amanda Nunes wait, however.

Pena scored arguably the biggest upset of 2021 — and one of the biggest in UFC history — when she submitted Nunes to claim the bantamweight crown in the UFC 269 co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Given Nunes’ track record, it seems possible that a rematch could be imminent, and that’s something Pena is willing to embrace.

“We can do it next, I’m free next month, two months from now – whenever they want to do it I’m ready,” Pena said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “If she wants to do a rematch, we can do a rematch. I’ve always been a company girl. Whatever they want to do — we’ll talk about that later. I just want to enjoy the moment right now.”

After dropping the opening round to the reigning champ, Pena proved she could hold her own — and then some — in a slugfest with “Lioness.” When Nunes was unable to find the knockout, her demeanor changed, and Pena continued to get the better of their exchanges on the feet. All told, Pena outlanded Nunes by an impressive 74-to-36 count in significant strikes in Round 2.

“Everybody thinks I am just only versed on the ground or that I’m just a ground person, but in mixed martial arts you have to be versed everywhere,” Pena said. “On the feet, in the clinch and I’m confident on the ground. Wherever the fight goes I’m comfortable.It’s not htat I have one specific specialty. I like to go wherever the fight takes me and I just let the fight take place however it does naturally.”

Swinging wildly took its toll on Nunes, and she was unable to mount much resistance when Pena grounded her and quickly transitioned to her back on the canvas. The ending was somewhat anticlimactic for “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner. When the tapout arrived at the 3:26 mark of Round 2, Pena wasn’t even sure what had happened.

“I put the choke on, but I didn’t realize that she tapped,” Pena admitted. “I remember when I took her down I thought, ‘Man I wish somebody could tell me how much time I have left in the round’ because I didn’t know how much time was left. After that the ref picked me up and they threw me in the corner — I think it was either the commissioner or the ref — and I said ‘What happened’ and he said, ’It’s over, you’re done. Congratulations.’ I was like, ‘I didn’t even know.’”

In the immediate aftermath, Pena was still processing the monumental achievement of beating a dominant force who entered their matchup on a 12-bout winning streak.

“Amanda’s been such a great champion and she’s done so much for the sport, so for me to take down arguably the greatest of all time is something that’s still sinking in right now,” Pena said.