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Current UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña is interested in fighting WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey.
Peña won the championship after she defeated Amanda Nunes at UFC 269. The former is well acquainted with Rousey. In 2013, on Team Rousey vs. Team Tate, Peña became the first woman to win The Ultimate Fighter as a member of the latter team.
Peña had hoped to face Rousey following her win at TUF, but that never happened. However, she is still interested in fighting The Baddest Woman on The Planet, as revealed in a Sports Illustrated interview. The current champ also slammed UFC President Dana White for 'handing' over a belt to Ronda Rousey.
“That [Rosey vs. Peña] has always been a fight that interests me. When Dana White allowed women into the UFC, he just handed Ronda a belt. She didn’t have to compete, she didn’t have to do anything. He just said, ‘Hey, welcome to this promotion, here’s this shiny belt.’ After he gave her the belt, she had to fight Liz Carmouche. At that point, I’m on The Ultimate Fighter. I wasn’t fighting one person, I had to fight four people. When I came out as the winner, I was ready to face Ronda,” Peña said.
Julianna Peña added that the former RAW Women's Champion warned her that she'd win. Both women would have competed against each other, but Pena injured her knee.
“Ronda told me, ‘You’re going to give me a tougher fight than Miesha Tate could ever dream about–but when that day comes, I’m still going to kick your a**. And I said to her, ‘We’ll see.’ So, of course, I want to fight Ronda. That was a fight I was gunning for before I tore out my knee [in 2014]. When I came back, she lost and ran off and hasn’t come back. But I have a feeling that she wants to come back."
The Rowdy One's vast experience in combat sports has favored the 35-year-old Superstar in sports entertainment. Rousey, along with Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, created history by becoming the first women to main event WrestleMania in a triple threat match for the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships.
Ronda Rousey aims to become the new SmackDown Women's Champion
After making her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34, Ronda Rousey won the RAW Women's Championship by defeating Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam 2018. She was the second-longest reigning women's champion for a span of 133 days before dropping the title to Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 35.
Rousey is currently feuding with Charlotte Flair over the SmackDow Women's Champion. Unhappy with the end of her match with The Opportunity at WrestleMania 38, the former RAW Women's Champion wanted a re-match. They'll face each other in an 'I Quit' match at the upcoming WrestleMania: Backlash with the title on the line.
Before that, Rousey is set to face Flair in a Beat the Clock 'I Quit' Challenge match on SmackDown this week. Thanks to their storied rivalry dating back to 2018, both are familiar with their in-ring capabilities and wrestling styles, and the upcoming match could be a slugfest.
Do you think Ronda Rousey will dethrone The Queen to begin her first reign as SmackDown Women's Champion? Let us know in the comments section below.
