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Julianna Pena wants another crack at UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes. Pena called for a trilogy fight against Nunes after failing to retain the title in their second bout at UFC 277 over the weekend.
Pena pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history with second round win over Nunes at UFC 269 in December. Pena went into Saturday’s rematch as a much smaller underdog, but the result better reflected the odds of their first match. Nunes dropped Pena three times en route to a serious unanimous decision loss (50-45, 50-44, 50-43).
“Tougher than a two dollar steak,” Pena wrote on Instagram. “Thanks for the love everyone! Just a cat scratch that needed a few stitches, no pieces missing, no surgery required. Love you all! Now we’re 1-1.”
Pena ended her post with hashtags like “#trilogy” and “#PenavsNunes3.”
Another trilogy bout potentially in the mix is a superfight between Nunes, who also holds the UFC women’s featherweight championship, and women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. The 125-pound champion teased Nunes online after the fight.
Nunes responded, claiming Shevchenko was on her way to losing to Tayla Santos before a random butt changed the tide of the race.
“This is funny,” Nunes said to herself media clash after the match. “She’s got to come up with something to stand out because right now, as the champion, Valentina, she lost her last fight. I really think if Tyla didn’t have that head, this fight could have been a lot different.”
Nunes welcomed a third fight against Shevchenko.
“Great. She’s also a champion,” Nunes said of the possibility. “That would be awesome.”
Nunes beat Shevchenko by unanimous decision in 2016. Their rematch was fought the following year in five rounds for Nunes’ bantamweight championship. “The Lioness” retained her title by split decision in a fight that many believe should have scored for Shevchenko. “The Bullet” then dropped down to flyweight, winning the vacant belt and making seven title defenses to date.
UFC president Dana White is also open to Nunes-Shevchenko 3.
“Not a bad idea,” White said to his scrum after the match. “Normally I’d say, ‘Come on, man.’ Not a bad idea really, when you think about it. I’m not saying yes, I’m just saying it’s not a bad idea.”
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