What is Julianna Pena's ethnicity? Exploring the UFC star's heritage, family background, and more

Julianna Pena is gearing up to defend her bantamweight title against Kayla Harrison in the co-main event of UFC 316. Pena earned her belt back in a gritty split decision win over Raquel Pennington last October.

Harrison also fought on that card and got the better of Ketlen Vieira to secure her spot as No. 1 contender. Before the women's bantamweight stars take center stage, let's explore the ethnicity of Pena:

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What is Julianna Pena's ethnicity?

Julianna Pena is of Venezuelan and Mexican descent. Born and raised in Spokane, Washington, she is the daughter of a first-generation Venezuelan father and a Mexican-American mother. Pena has represented her Latin roots with pride, and her nickname, 'The Venezuelan Vixen,' pays homage to that lineage.

Pena’s MMA journey began in May 2009 as she collected four straight wins, all by finish. Following a two-fight losing skid, she went on to compete in The Ultimate Fighter season 18. She became the first woman to win the tournament in 2013.

Her breakout moment came in December 2021, when she pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. She defeated Amanda Nunes via submission at UFC 269 and grabbed the mic to quote, "I'm not surprised," which was made famous by former UFC star Nate Diaz.

She lost the belt in the rematch at UFC 277, but after Nunes’ retirement and a hard-fought win over Pennington, Pena is once again on top of the division.

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Valentina Shevchenko backs Julianna Pena to win against Kayla Harrison

Valentina Shevchenko believes Julianna Peña has the right mix of experience, grit, and mindset to hand Kayla Harrison her first UFC loss.

Shevchenko, who shared the octagon with Pena back in 2017, pointed out that the pace, pressure, and unpredictability of five-rounders often change everything. Unlike many of Harrison’s previous opponents, Pena doesn’t freeze under pressure.

Previewing the fight in a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Shevchenko said:

“If we compare it to my previous fight against Manon [Fiorot], she had 12 wins without [a break], and she was thinking that a championship fight was gonna be the sam,e but it’s not the same. You will face different challenges and I feel the same way [about this fight]. This is my main event at UFC 316, it’s Julianna Pena against Kayla Harrison." [H/t: Bloody Elbow]

She added:

"I feel the same way that it’s gonna be a completely different fight for Kayla Harrison and she will feel completely different because Julianna, she possesses this ability to win and to turn a fight from a position where she’s uncomfortable to being comfortable, she isn’t scared of grappling. She can submit from any position… It’s very hard to take her down. Me being a former opponent of Julianna, I definitely like her style and like her a lot… I will be rooting for Julianna… Julianna will do everything double to win."

Check out Valentina Shevchenko's comments below: