Julianna Pena believes she is Amanda Nunes’ ‘kryptonite’
Julianna Pena is looking to fight Amanda Nunes next time out.
For years now, Pena has been calling out Nunes, but she has never gotten the title shot due to time off and some losses. However, after Nunes defended her featherweight title at UFC 259, Dana White said he wants Nunes to make a quick turnaround and defend her bantamweight title. If that is the case, there isn’t a whole lot of options except for Pena
“I’m 9-2 in the UFC, and Amanda has one more victory than I do,” Pena told MMA Junkie. “I’ve been fighting in this UFC division just as long as she has. … I feel like stylistically, I’m the worst possible matchup for her. I’m her kryptonite. I do believe that she knows that because every time I fight, she always says, ‘One more, and you’ve got to fight one more, and you’ve got to fight one more.’ It’s like, you didn’t make Felicia Spencer fight one more. You didn’t make Megan Anderson fight one more. You didn’t make Holly fight one more, but for some reason, I’ve got to fight one more.
“There is really no one else. She’s actually cleaned out the division? She hasn’t fought me, she hasn’t fought a fighter like me,” Pena continued. “I definitely think that it’s very clear that she doesn’t want to fight me. Stylistically, I’m the worst possible matchup for her.”
Although Julianna Pena is just 2-2 in her last four, she is the top contender available who Nunes hasn’t fought. She is coming off a submission win over Sara McMann at UFC 257 to get back into the win column after losing by sub to Germaine de Randamie in October. Her only other loss is a submission loss to Valentina Shevchenko in 2017. In the UFC, she does hold notable wins over Jessica Eye and Nicco Montano.
