Number three-ranked women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Peña has not been on good terms with the UFC. Her grievances with the company were flared up after the official announcement of the Amanda Nunes-Ronda Rousey fight in October.
The frustration of “The Venezuelan Vixen” was rooted on the notion that Rousey was getting special treatment from being granted the immediate title shot upon her return. For her, it was a “bullsh-t” move, which also made her think of fighting for another promotion company instead.
“Maybe I’ll go fight for Combate [Americas] or something because it sounds like they want to pay me serious money and actually give me a belt right off the bat just like they did with Ronda in the UFC,” Peña said. “They just handed Ronda a belt, and Combate will hand me a belt, so I don’t know, we’ll see how that goes.”
Peña is now slated to headline UFC on FOX 23 on January 28th, against Valentina Shevchenko. Logically, a win for her grants her the next shot at the women’s 135-pound title. But if it does not end up happening for some reason, Peña says she is ready to “raise hell.”
“I think Dana knows that I’m a firecracker, and I definitely don’t think that he wants see the wrath that will come if I don’t get a title shot after this,” Peña said during her recent guesting on the ESPN 5ive Rounds Podcast (via MMA Fighting). “I would be shocked. I won’t say that it couldn’t happen because anything can happen, especially in this sport.
“But I think that he definitely knows that I’m the clear cut answer for getting a title shot. So I don’t want to even put that in the universe. If I don’t get a title shot, I quit.”
A fight with Shevchenko is not exactly what Peña had in mind, after winning against Cat Zingano at UFC 200 in July. But at the end of it all, she also realizes that she just needs to trust the process.
“I feel like I keep complaining and people are tired of hearing me complain,” Peña said. “I’m tired of hearing myself complain. It’s like put up or shut up. Just go in there and fight and do your job and let the rest handle itself. Like Dana said, trust the timing of your life.”