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Julianna Pena wants Amanda Nunes to give the same respect she did when the belt was on the other waist. The UFC bantamweight championship series between "The Venezuelan Vixen" and her Brazilian rival is tied at one victory each. Pena, who hasn't spoken out much since losing to Nunes at UFC 277 in July, was fired up and demanded a trilogy fight on Instagram.
“Everyone keeps asking me what’s next. I’m getting my belt back that’s what’s next! A trilogy with @amanda_leoa is the fight to make.
“I did everything I said I was going to do going into that first fight I gave Amanda the immediate rematch within six months and man maybe I should have sat out for two years like she does? She told all y’all she could have finished me in RD2 but I guess she wanted to get her face rearranged for three more rounds and leave on (crutches) instead she even said we head-butted and you guys believed it! Never happened!
“She had to go home and change and revamp her ENTIRE STYLE to beat me. I take it as a compliment. She outsmarted me the second time I give her that. We are 1-1 and this time I will not miss! @ufc the #trilogy needs to happen LFG ! #facts”
In a stunning upset during their first meeting, Pena defeated Nunes by submission to win the title at UFC 269 in December 2021. However, Pena later gave the title back to Nunes in a rematch at UFC 277 in July of this year. Nunes easily prevailed with a unanimous decision win. Pena undoubtedly had her moments, but the rematch differed greatly from their first fight.
Given how quickly she agreed to an imminent rematch with "The Lioness," when the UFC came knocking. So perhaps Pena expects the promotion to strike again while the iron is hot and put a stop to this bantamweight rivalry.
After defeating Pena by a huge unanimous decision at UFC 277, Nunes mentioned in her post-fight interview that she was looking forward to going back to Brazil and taking some time off, but she did not specify when she would be returning. Pena, who has already missed a large amount of time due to injuries over her UFC career, isn't happy about it.
Pena is confident she can repeat her performance from the first meeting when she out-attacked Nunes and forced the veteran champion to seem uninspired in the crucial second round.
“She had to go home and revamp her entire style to beat me,” Peña wrote. “I take it as a compliment. She outsmarted me the second time I give her that. We are 1-1 and this time I will not miss. [UFC], the trilogy needs to happen.”
Even though Nunes might go on to defend her 135-pound belt against fighters like Ketlen Vieira or Irene Aldana, those fights can wait. If the trilogy is even remotely as crazy as the first fight between Pena and Nunes, it will be a victory for the UFC. However, Nunes has some clout these days, so "Lioness" is probably going to receive some fresh meat in the cage.