By the time the dust settled at UFC 269 last December, we knew we
had seen one of the biggest upsets ever in an Ultimate Fighting Championship title fight. On
Saturday in Dallas, Texas, we may find out precisely which kind of
upset it was.
Julianna Pena, who on that night in Las Vegas defeated Amanda Nunes—a two-division UFC champ and probably the most dominant fighter in the entire sport at the time—will face Nunes in a rematch that also serves as the culmination of their roles as opposing coaches on the 30th season of "The Ultimate Fighter." Each woman faces a unique kind of pressure: Nunes, to regain her belt and her status as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport; Pena, to prove that Dec. 11, 2021 was more than just a flash in the pan. Of the other two biggest upsets in UFC title fights of the post-TUF era, Matt Serra's knockout of Georges St. Pierre at UFC 69 turned out to be an isolated night of glory for a scrappy challenger, as their rematch showed. On the other hand, Holly Holm's 2015 destruction of Ronda Rousey felt less like a fluke and more like an exposition on Rousey's shortcomings as a striker, which was borne out by the fact that the "Rowdy" judoka never even managed to win her way back to a shot at regaining her belt.
Did the "Venezuelan Vixen" catch lightning in a bottle, or did she lay down the blueprint for beating a fighter who once seemed all but unbeatable? It is a fascinating question, and one which stands to be answered in a matter of days.
Julianna Pena, who on that night in Las Vegas defeated Amanda Nunes—a two-division UFC champ and probably the most dominant fighter in the entire sport at the time—will face Nunes in a rematch that also serves as the culmination of their roles as opposing coaches on the 30th season of "The Ultimate Fighter." Each woman faces a unique kind of pressure: Nunes, to regain her belt and her status as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport; Pena, to prove that Dec. 11, 2021 was more than just a flash in the pan. Of the other two biggest upsets in UFC title fights of the post-TUF era, Matt Serra's knockout of Georges St. Pierre at UFC 69 turned out to be an isolated night of glory for a scrappy challenger, as their rematch showed. On the other hand, Holly Holm's 2015 destruction of Ronda Rousey felt less like a fluke and more like an exposition on Rousey's shortcomings as a striker, which was borne out by the fact that the "Rowdy" judoka never even managed to win her way back to a shot at regaining her belt.
Did the "Venezuelan Vixen" catch lightning in a bottle, or did she lay down the blueprint for beating a fighter who once seemed all but unbeatable? It is a fascinating question, and one which stands to be answered in a matter of days.
Ben
Duffy/Sherdog.com illustration
Related Articles
