Julianna Pena doesn’t understand why Amanda Nunes wants her to trash talk more.
Pena and Nunes are set to rematch in the main event of UFC 277 for the bantamweight title in an intriguing matchup. Back at UFC 269, it was Pena who won by submission to become the new champion and she shocked the world in doing so.
Since then, the two have coached TUF and Nunes left her longtime gym American Top Team and according to Pena that is because she got embarrassed.
“All the other stuff that she said, like, oh, I didn’t s—t talk and I was trying to get people to want to like me or something like that, I’m like, no, I’ve done the show before so I kinda know how the production goes,” Pena said to MMAMania. “But with that being said, I already beat you. You hadn’t been submitted, you hadn’t been stopped, you had this title reign of the GOAT and you got embarrassed, and you got so frustrated that you fired your entire team. You quit your gym that you’d been at for 10 years, you had to go see a sport psychologist. Like, why kick a dog when it’s down? That’s just not my style, that’s not my character, and I already know how much it hurt her.
“I’m not trying to pour salt on the wounds. She wants me to burn the church down too, it’s like it’s good, you know what I mean? I already did my trash-talking in the ring. There’s nothing really more for me to say,” Pena continued. “Not to mention if you watch the season, I’m killin’ her! They can’t string a couple wins together to save their lives, she’s just literally not winning on the show either. What more do you want me to say? I feel bad. Not to say I’m going to hold back by any means in the rematch but it’s just [that] I don’t want to be this cocky arrogant prick, that I’m just constantly poking you while you’re down. That’s just not who I am. Most people would be thankful but she wants me to razz her.”
Given that the fight is still a month away, there will be a time when Julianna Pena and Amanda Nunes jaw at one another again. But, for now, Pena says she doesn’t see a need given she embarrassed Nunes in the first fight.
Do you think Julianna Pena will beat Amanda Nunes in the rematch?