Julianna Pena explains excitement behind Amanda Nunes rematch: “I want to silence the naysayers”

Julianna Pena is currently set to face Amanda Nunes later this year in a highly-anticipated rematch. The UFC bantamweight champion has given her reason why she’s so excited to fight ‘The Lioness’ again.

Pena and Nunes are currently coaching the 30th season of The Ultimate Fighter. During media day for the show, ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ shared excitement over facing her rival once again.

Pena explained that the reason she agreed to the rematch so quickly is that she wants to prove the first fight wasn’t a fluke. ‘The Lioness’ has recently revealed that she suffered injuries and battled COVID-19 in the buildup to their title bout. Pena took the fight so quickly to put any excuses to bed.

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“The problem is that when you fight someone that dominate, someone that hasn’t lost in seven years, that has been dominating and getting girls out of there in seconds. When you beat someone that dominantly, that should’ve been enough. That should’ve been done. But there’s still naysayers out there, there are still people who think it was a fluke… Whatever the issue is, I want to put it to rest one more time and silence the naysayers.” – said Julianna Pena at The Ultimate Fighter season 30 media day.

The two fought for the first time at UFC 269 last year. ‘The Lioness’ entered the fight as a massive favorite. She nearly finished the bout in the first round with a knockdown.

However, Pena survived and came firing back. She proceeded to dominate the second round on route to a rear-naked choke finish to capture the UFC bantamweight title. Now, the two are set to fight again later this year after a season of filming and one of the biggest upsets ever in the books.

What do you think about Julianna Pena’s comments about rematching Amanda Nunes?