Julianna Pena scored a huge win at UFC 192, and she's setting her sights high for her next fight, calling out bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey. Speaking to Joe Rogan in the cage following the bout, Pena had strong words for the champ.
"Dana White calls Ronda the Mike Tyson of MMA. Well I'm Evander Holyfield," she said. "I'm right here. I'll be your huckleberry."
Pena has been one of the most exciting names in the women's bantamweight division since her breakout performance on The Ultimate Fighter, Season 18. As part of Team Tate, Pena ran through MMA veteran and favorite to win the season Shayna Baszler. From there, she would defeat old rival Sarah Moras via submission, and then won the season by defeating Jessica Rakoczy by TKO.
While many were expecting Pena to immediately cement herself as a force in the division, she suffered a catastrophic knee injury in 2013 that shelved her for over a year. She returned to action in April with a dominating win over Milana Dudieva.
Tough, gritty performance from Julianna Pena. It wasn't spectacular, but she improved and set herself up for what comes next. #UFC192
— Patrick Wyman (@Patrick_Wyman) October 4, 2015
This win over Eye cements Pena's place as a top-10 fighter, but any serious talk that Pena is ready for a title shot is a bit premature. Eye is a solid fighter, but winning via decision in a competitive fight should not earn Pena a ticket to the front of the line. If Pena had dominated Eye the way she did Dudieva, a case for a title shot could have been made. As it stands, however, Pena needs at least one or two more fights before entering the title-fight discussion.
Still, this is a major victory for Pena, and the future is beyond bright for her. If she continues to improve and continues to add names to her resume, it is only a matter of time before she gets a title fight.
