And with former long-time champ Ronda Rousey refusing to commit to an Octagon comeback, Pena is now campaigning for a shot against Brazil’s Nunes, who claimed the title with an upset of Tate in the main event of UFC 200.
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In her mind, Rousey’s luster was knocked off by that Holly Holm head kick in Australia in November and it’s not coming back regardless of how much anyone wants to believe in her potential comeback. “She’s like the emperor in no clothes”, Pena added …
“She’s broken a little bit”, Pena said. No one deserves this title shot more than I do.
Ronda Rousey took her Olympic-level judo skills, applied them to MMA and became the face of the sport.
That’s not sitting well with Pena. “But I guess some people do, and so I guess Amanda’s going to wait for that title fight and we’ll see how that goes”.
Pena, 26, does have some history with Rousey.
Rumors have swirled about when the former UFC champion will return to the fighting octagon, but Rousey’s probably going to want a piece of Pena after her comments.
That’s not a certainty.
Rousey’s projected return was pushed back to December 2016 or early 2017 after she underwent minor knee surgery in June.
Pena’s not sure it will happen. “That’s what I’ve been told – that’s what I’ve heard”. “I’ll believe it when I actually see she has signed a contract on the dotted line then I’ll be more of a believer”. In 10 years you’ll see her in movies and stuff and she’s going to do great. After a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 18, Pena has embarked on a four-fight winning streak and she feels the time is now for a shot at new champ Amanda Nunes (13-4 MMA, 6-1 UFC).
“Go look her up, she is a multiple-time jiu-jitsu world champion”, Henderson said on “The MMA Hour”. I think her working her butt off, staying grounded in the MMA world, getting better, growing …
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If she were to fight there, it would be three days shy of the one-year anniversary of her last bout with Holm. “I’ll believe it when I see it”, she said”. She (Nunes) knows that she needs to fight me. “I want my belt and I’m not going to stop until I get it”.
