UFC bantamweight Julianna Pena is still eyeing a potential fight against former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey due to the way Rousey treated her on The Ultimate Fighter.
Pena won season 18 of TUF in 2013. The season was coached by Rousey and Miesha Tate. On the show, Pena fought Rousey’s teammate Shayna Bazler. Prior to the fight, Rousey said Pena didn’t deserve to be in the same cage as Bazler. Pena went on to submit Bazler and win the whole tournament.
“You don’t forget something like that,” Pena recently told MMA Fighting. “When someone disrespects you like Ronda did to me you don’t forget that.”
Despite still having ill feelings towards Rousey, Pena is more focused on her next opponent and fighting for a UFC championship.
“What I’m here to do it prove I’m the best fighter in the world,” Pena said. “Ronda doesn’t have the belt anymore. Amanda Nunes does. Beating Ronda does not prove to the world that I’m the best fighter, so I have no time for that right now. I’m going to beat Valentina and then I’m going to fight Amanda and show everyone who’s the best.”
On Saturday, Pena will headline a UFC on FOX event against Valentina Shevchenko. The winner of the fight will have a strong claim of being next in line to fight UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes.
