It doesn’t matter what Julianna Pena does, it’s by no means sufficient within the eyes of the followers.
That’s precisely how ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ is feeling 4 years after scoring maybe the largest upset in UFC historical past, defeating former two-division queen Amanda Nunes to seize her first bantamweight world championship.
Eight months faraway from kickstarting her second run because the 135-pound champion, Pena will face one of many hardest assessments of her profession, co-headlining Saturday’s UFC 316 card towards two-time Olympic gold medalist and former two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison.
However even when she defies the percentages and arms Harrison her first loss contained in the Octagon, Pena isn’t satisfied it’ll be sufficient for followers to place some respect on her title lastly.
“I’m very proud to come back from a small, tight-knit neighborhood in Chicago,” Pena mentioned in the course of the UFC 316 media day. “Having the ability to be coaching companions with Balal, Bahamondes—it’s a particular factor we’ve received occurring. We assist one another, we assist one another, we love one another, and I feel that’s an important factor to have round.
“I believed that beating the best of all time was going to offer me that respect, and it didn’t. So that you by no means know. It’s by no means sufficient—it doesn’t matter what you do, it’s simply by no means sufficient. Everyone’s all the time going to need extra from you.”
Will a win over Kayla Harrison earn Julianna Pena respect within the eyes of UFC followers?
Pena goes into the primary protection of her second spherical, coming off a sketchy cut up determination victory over Raquel Pennington in October, to retake the title. That, on high of the five-round shellacking Nunes handed her of their July 2022 rematch, is probably going why followers are hesitant to offer her the credit score she so desperately craves.
Might a giant win over Kayla Harrison change that?
