The best and worst from UFC Fight Night 155: De Randamie vs. Ladd

#3 Best: Pena is back

Julianna Pena turned things around to win her comeback fight against Nicco Montano

One fight that was flying under the radar a little last night was the Bantamweight clash between former Flyweight champion Nicco Montano and the returning Julianna Pena.

Pena actually took the fight on late notice to replace the injured Sara McMann, but there were a lot of question marks around her, as she hadn’t fought since January 2017 and had become a mother in the interim.

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The first round looked bad for her too as Montano largely dominated her in all areas, but using her toughness, grappling skill and immense top game, Pena willed her way back into the fight and took the final two rounds away from Montano to take a clear decision victory.

It wasn’t the greatest fight to watch, but it was still a huge win for Pena, who should find herself in instant title contention – it’s easy to forget she was one fight away from a title shot in 2017 before taking her leave of absence – and with no clear-cut title challenger right now at 135lbs, a fight with Amanda Nunes might come sooner rather than later.

At any rate, it’s great to have ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ back.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram