Miesha Tate previews potential future UFC title fight against longtime friend Julianna Pena: “She is always game”
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate is willing to fight Julianna Pena for a world title.
‘Cupcake’ hasn’t been seen in the cage since a clash with Julia Avila in December 2023. That night at UFC Austin saw Miesha Tate turn back the clock, dominating ‘Raging Panda’ en route to a third-round submission win. Over a year on from that win, the 38-year-old former champion is finally set to return. At UFC Des Moines in May, Tate will meet former title challenger Yana Santos.
Ahead of the bout, the former champion discussed her return in an interview with MMA Fighting. There, Miesha Tate was asked about potentially fighting her longtime friend, Julianna Pena. For her part, ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ last appeared in the cage in October, scoring a split-decision victory over Raquel Pennington. With the win, Pena re-earned the gold she lost to Amanda Nunes two years prior.
At 38 years old, Miesha Tate is trying to accomplish the same goal. ‘Cupcake’ is aware that the clock is ticking on her time in the sport, but she hopes to earn one more crack at gold. In the interview with MMA Fighting, Tate stated that she would love to fight twice this year, and then get a title shot. As of now, Julianna Pena lacks a return date, but has been repeatedly linked to a bout with Kayla Harrison.
Former #UFC champ Miesha Tate will fight longtime friend Julianna Pena, under one condition.👀
(Via @DamonMartin) pic.twitter.com/qT4ntsWmYy
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 26, 2025
Miesha Tate previews possible UFC title fight against longtime friend Julianna Pena
The situation is a tough one for Miesha Tate to deal with. While she doesn’t want to fight the woman she coached to victory on The Ultimate Fighter 18, she doesn’t want to see Julianna Pena lose the gold either. With that in mind, the 38-year-old has prepared herself for the possibility that she’ll meet ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ in a fight for UFC gold in the future.
“I, ideally, would not have to fight [Julianna Pena] for a title because we are friends.” Miesha Tate stated in the interview, ahead of her UFC Des Moines return. “We have a long history, and I have so much respect and love for her. She’s done so much for me early on in my career, she was there. She’s a body, and she’s always game. I’m so grateful for the contributions that Juli made for my career. So, I want her to win in that matchup with Kayla.”
She continued, “But, I also want to fight for a title fight, and I don’t want to fight Juli. So, it’s like, either way it’s not going to work out the exact way I want it to. I would hope that she would have the same understanding [as I do]. It’s not personal, this is friendship aside. This is dreams and aspirations and whatnot. But, would I fight her for a title? Yes, I would. If that’s what it comes down to, I will.”
What do you make of these comments from the former UFC champion? Do you want to see Julianna Pena vs. Miesha Tate?
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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Julianna Pena Miesha Tate UFC
