Julianna Pena makes a good case for being number one contender in the UFC women’s bantamweight division.
After winning all three of her bouts on The Ultimate Fighter 18 inside the distance, Pena has gone 4-0 in the UFC and believes she’s next in line for the ever-changing belt that currently resides around the waist of Amanda Nunes.
The 135 lbs title has switched hands on three occasions since last November with Holly Holm, Miesha Tate and Nunes all being crowned champions in the last nine months.
And with former long-time champ Ronda Rousey refusing to commit to an Octagon comeback, Pena is currently campaigning for a shot against Brazil’s Nunes, who claimed the title with an upset of Tate in the main event of UFC 200.
“They can delay me but they can’t deny me,” Pena told TMZ Sports. “I’ve had my hand raised in the UFC Octagon more than any other female out there and no one deserves this title shot more than I do.
“That’s how I feel about that. She (Nunes) knows that she needs to fight me. All of these girls know they need to fight me and I want my belt so I’m not going to stop until I get it.”
Pena believes that Nunes may be holding out on the big payday that comes along with a fight against Rousey but amid all the talk of ‘Rowdy’ remaining one of the biggest draws in the sport, Pena claims that there’s not as much interest in the former champion as is made out.
“She’s broken a little bit,” Pena said. “I just think that no one really cares about Ronda Rousey and her fat arms any more but I guess some people do and so I guess Amanda’s going to wait for that title fight.”
