“She’s So Unlikeable”- Fans Mount Pressure on Julianna Pena’s Response to Amanda Nunes and Dana White on Retirement Comeback After UFC 316

Did we just hear that right? Is former dual-weight champion Amanda Nunes, the woman who dethroned Ronda Rousey, making a shocking comeback to the Octagon after years of retirement? ‘The Lioness’ hung up her gloves in 2023, securing a dominant win over Irene Aldana by unanimous decision. But it seems Julianna Peña’s words might have been the spark that reignited the fire, coaxing Nunes to return from her retirement.

After Sean O’Malley’s statement, one of the reporters asked the UFC CEO, Dana White, whether the conclusion of Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison would witness the comeback of Amanda Nunes. The UFC CEO looked at ‘The Lioness, ‘ who was in attendance, before saying, “Do I think Amanda Nunes fights again? She just said yes.” The camera panned to the former dual-weight champion, and we could see a big smile on her face, as if she were a lioness spotting its prey.

Moments later, Nunes’ former opponent, Julianna Peña, grabbed the mic and asserted that she had been right all along, as she was the first to claim that Nunes had taken an early retirement. “Which means that booing her in Canada was right because I knew she was retiring too early, just like Dana said, and just like you guys are all seeing.”

She further added, “She’s not done. She’s just sitting there on the sidelines to see what happens because she didn’t want to fight that trilogy fight I was asking for.”  Peña and Nunes have a history; the two have fought twice in their UFC careers, with a record of 1-2. However, for the trilogy to happen, ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ will have to defend her title against Kayla Harrison, who has been eyeing it since her UFC debut.

Julianna Peña defeated Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 to claim her bantamweight women’s title, and for her first title defense, she will have to face none other than Kayla Harrison. Regardless, when Amanda Nunes said “Yes” to her comeback, the MMA community went bonkers. Let’s take a look at what UFC fans have to say.

Fans rally behind Amanda Nunes as Julianna Peña challenges the former champ for a trilogy

Amanda Nunes was at the peak of her career, riding a 12-fight winning streak, until Julianna Peña faced her in a title fight at UFC 269. ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ defeated Nunes via submission, becoming the second fighter to ever submit her. It was a moment that shocked everyone within the community; however, ‘The Lioness’ did take her revenge by defeating Peña by way of a unanimous decision. Looking at this as a fan wrote, “One of my favourite mma moments since being a fan is Peña beating nunes. But oh man that rematch wasn’t close.”

Top Comment by MilkSteakBoiledOverEasy

The article says Nunez «dethroned» Rousey… cmon now, even casuals know this isn’t true. Everyone knows that...more

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Debate

With a career record of 23 victories and only 5 defeats, Amanda Nunes has won 56% of her fights by way of knockouts. It won’t be wrong to claim that she is the knockout artist of the sport. In comparison to Nunes, Peña has a modest record of 13 victories and 5 defeats. Looking at these records, a  social media user wrote, “Amanda finishes pena next time.”

Furthermore, another social media user added, “And just like that, women’s bantamweight is interesting again. Didn’t expect Amanda to actually return to be honest. I want to see her vs Kayla.”

Moreover, a fan didn’t like the way Peña reacted, “Oh, Juliana has to make everything about her! She’s so unlikeable.”

Amanda Nunes has expressed her willingness to face Kayla Harrison in a super-fight. According to a fan, a victory for Harrison might pull Nunes closer to the UFC: “If Kayla wins Amanda will probably come back, doubt it if pena wins lol.” Last but not the least, a social media user emphasized that Amanda Nunes will defeat both of them in an instant: “Nunes smash both of them but she knows Peña would be much easier.”

As the Women’s bantamweight division gains prominence, what are your thoughts on Amanda Nunes coming back to the UFC? State your opinions in the comments below.