5 Defining Moments: Julianna Pena

Twists and turns have become customary in the career of Julianna Pena. From blue-chip prospect and reality show villain to motherhood, title contention and an unexpected reign as undisputed champion, she has taken a road less traveled.

Pena finds herself on the rebound entering 2023, having surrendered the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight crown in a unanimous decision loss to Amanda Nunes in their UFC 277 rematch on July 30. The setback snapped a modest two-fight winning streak for the Sikjitsu standout and left her with plenty of questions to answer ahead of a likely trilogy bout with the Nunes. Pena owns a 7-3 record across her 10 appearances inside the Octagon.

As Pena awaits word on her next assignment from UFC matchmakers, a look at five of the many moments that have come to define her thus far:

1. Ultimate Arrival

“The Venezuelan Vixen” stopped Jessica Rakoczy with unanswered punches from the mount in the women’s bantamweight tournament final at “The Ultimate Fighter 18” Finale on Nov. 30, 2013 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Pena closed the deal 4:59 into Round 1, becoming the first-ever female winner on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series. A decorated boxer with limited mixed martial arts experience, Rakoczy never stood a chance. Pena went to work after the second of her two takedowns. She softened Rakoczy with ground-and-pound, compromised her guard and eventually moved to full mount. For nearly two full minutes, she tore into Rakoczy with elbows and punches, forcing the stoppage with only a second remaining on the clock.

2. Point of Validation

Pena climbed into a new tax bracket in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight division when she overcame some early adversity to claim a unanimous decision over former two-division Ring of Fire champion Cat Zingano in the featured UFC 200 prelim on July 9, 2016 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. All three judges struck 29-28 scorecards. Zingano controlled the first five minutes with takedowns, top control and ground-and-pound. Pena was undeterred. She flipped the switch in Round 2, where she reversed a takedown, advanced to Zingano’s back, set her hooks and fished for the rear-naked choke. Though her bid failed, momentum was hers. She picked up where she left off in the third round, executing a takedown inside the first 10 seconds before hammering away at Zingano with ground-and-pound and again shifting to her back.

3. Out on a Limb

Valentina Shevchenko cemented her claim as the No. 1 contender for the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight title when she submitted Pena with an armbar in the second round of their UFC on Fox 23 main event on Jan. 28, 2017 at the Pepsi Center in Denver. “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner conceded defeat 4:29 into Round 2. Shevchenko answered aggression with cold calculation. The Kyrgyzstani kickboxer surprised Pena with a pair of takedowns from the clinch in the first round, peppering her with ground-and-pound before evading an attempted armbar. “The Venezuelan Vixen” turned the tables in the second, where she executed a takedown of her own and set up shop in Shevchenko’s full guard. Pena was content to strike from there, even as her opponent moved her legs and hips into position for the armbar. Shevchenko maintained her grip on the maneuver through a desperate scramble and forced the tapout. It was Pena’s first setback in nearly four years.

4. Sent to the Shadow Realm

Germaine de Randamie continued her evolution as a mixed martial artist and put Pena to sleep with a guillotine choke in the third round of their UFC on ESPN 16 women’s bantamweight showcase on Oct. 3, 2020 at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. “The Venezuelan Vixen” lost consciousness 3:25 into Round 3. De Randamie dropped the Sikjitsu standout to a knee with a clean right hand in the first round, only to see her momentum interrupted by a late takedown. Pena tripped the decorated muay thai practitioner to the floor less than 90 seconds into the middle stanza, applied her ground-and-pound and fished for a guillotine of her own before surviving an attempted Von Flue choke from the Dutchwoman. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 18 winner scored with a right cross-left hook combination to start the decisive third round, moved into clinch range and changed levels for a takedown. However, she left her neck exposed in her haste to return to the mat, and de Randamie laced her arms into the guillotine before her opponent could respond. Soon after, Pena went limp.

5. Golden Girl

Pena sprang one of the biggest upsets in mixed martial arts history when she submitted Nunes with a rear-naked choke and claimed the undisputed women’s bantamweight championship in the second round of their UFC 269 co-main event on Dec. 11, 2021 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Nunes checked out 3:26 into Round 2, suffering her first defeat in more than seven years. Pena waded through considerable difficulty in the first round, where the champion zeroed in on her leg with kicks, dumped her to the mat and transitioned to her back. She turned it into a brawl in Round 2, and Nunes could not keep up. Pena battered the American Top Team star with jabs and clubbing right hands, walked through the shots that were fired in response and waited for the Brazilian to exhaust herself. She then executed a takedown, moved to the back when faced with little resistance and cinched the choke for the shocking finish.