Julianna Pena Takes Credit For Scaring Amanda Nunes Into Retirement: ‘WTF Was That?’

It didn’t take lengthy for Julianna Pena to touch upon the retirement of Amanda Nunes.

‘The Lioness’ headlined Saturday’s UFC 289 pay-per-view within the Nice White North, handily defeating bantamweight title challenger Irene Aldana over the course of 25 minutes. Following the matchup, Nunes laid down her two world title belts alongside her gloves and introduced that she is formally retiring from mixed martial arts. Her announcement instantly acquired the eye of two-time Nunes opponent, Julianna Pena.

The ‘Venezuelan Vixen’ was initially tipped to be Nunes’ challenger at UFC 289, however an damage sustained whereas coaching compelled her to withdraw. Upon realizing that she is going to by no means get the possibility to finish her trilogy with Nunes, Pena took to Twitter and instructed that Nunes was working off into the sundown earlier than having to step contained in the Octagon together with her yet another time.

“I scared you so unhealthy into retirement,” Pena tweeted. “Personally, Congratulations. Professionally, wtf was that? #UFC289”

Is Julianna Pena vs. Raquel Pennington the Battle to Make?

Amanda Nunes ends her illustrious profession going 16-2 contained in the Octagon, her solely losses coming in opposition to Cat Zingano in 2014 and the aforementioned Julianna Pena at UFC 269 in January 2021. Seven months later, ‘The Lioness’ reclaimed her bantamweight title from Pena, setting the stage for a trilogy bout that can by no means come to fruition.

With the ladies’s bantamweight world title now vacated, it opens the door for Julianna Pena to slip proper in and problem for the title in opposition to a brand new opponent. Who that shall be is but to be decided, however the likeliest situation would see Raquel Pennington step in to combat for the vacant championship. Pennington served because the official backup for UFC 289’s foremost occasion between Nunes and Aldana.