Julianna Pena Clarifies “Mom Champ”, No Dig At Amanda Nunes
UFC bantamweight champion Julianna Pena didn’t mean to take a jab at Amanda Nunes with her recent “mom champ” post-fight comments.
Pena pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, overwhelming Nunes on the feet in the second round of their UFC 269 co-main. After scoring a big takedown, she got Nunes’ back and secured the rear-naked choke for the title.
But Pena caused some eyebrows to raise when she claimed the title of being the first “mom champ” in the UFC, despite Nunes having already been a Mom entering UFC 269. Her wife, fellow UFC fighter Nina Nunes, gave birth to their daughter late last year.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Pena explained what she meant by her post-fight remarks.
“I absolutely had my words misinterpreted,” Peña said. “Amanda is an amazing mom. She is an amazing mom champ. Amanda had a daughter that was there at the weigh-ins with my daughter, and her daughter embraced my daughter. They were hugging, they were loving on one another.
“When I saw that, I saw that this baby is raised in a home with two loving parents, and for her to display that love to my daughter just showed me how much they care about their daughter and how great of parents they are for their baby.”
Julianna Pena And Amanda Nunes Are Expected To Run It Back
Pena and Nunes may already be on the fast track to an immediate rematch in 2022. UFC president Dana White offered Nunes the rematch during his post-fight press conference, an offer that was accepted via her Instagram page.
Pena spoke about a few different options after the title win, including rematches with Valentina Shevchenko and Germaine de Randamie.
It’s unclear how much time off Nunes will need before she returns to the octagon, but it appears that these two rivals could be on their way back to face-to-face sooner rather than later.
What were your thoughts on Julianna Pena’s post-fight comments?
