Counting out Julianna Pena is never a good idea.
After reclaiming the bantamweight championship via a closely contested and somewhat controversial split-decision win over Raquel Pennington last year, ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ will face another tough test this Saturday night at UFC 316.
Stepping into the main event spotlight, Pena will defend her 135-pound crown against two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion, Kayla Harrison.
Facing one of the biggest challenges of her mixed martial arts career thus far, Pena is treating her 12th walk to the Octagon no differently than the 11 that came before it.
“Every time I sign on that dotted line to get inside that Octagon with any of these opponents, they are always, in my mind, the toughest challenge that I’ve ever had,” Pena said during an interview with Submission Radio. Every time I get ready for a fight, I always say the same thing: ‘This is the biggest fight of my life.’ And I don’t take it lightly. I don’t underestimate her abilities, and I take her as an extreme threat, just like I do every single one of my opponents.
Julianna Pena is nobody’s cupcake
As it stands, Harrison is a massive favorite to come out on top in New Jersey, with sportsbooks having her listed as high as -590. It’s a familiar spot for Pena, who has been doubted countless times in her career.
“Everybody always thinks that I am just this layup and this cupcake that they’re going to be able to walk all over. The second they fight me, and their eyes get as big as plates, they realize this isn’t as easy as they thought it was going to be. That, like you said, is hard to prepare for.”
Pena, of course, scored one of the biggest upsets in promotional history, defeating Amanda Nunes at UFC 269 to become a world champion for the first time in her career.
Will ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ defy the odds once again?
