When Amanda Nunes was forced out of UFC 265 due to an apparent COVID-19 test, it is safe to say that Julianna Peña was frustrated. Now she is going on the war path, confronting Dana White and ripping into the champ.
Peña was expected to take on Nunes in the UFC 265 co-main event, but was told on short notice that the champ-champ and her family had COVID-19. However there are some things that do not add up to the potential challenger.
She confronted Dana White about these supposed inconsistencies at the UFC 265 pre-fight presser. Here she grabbed a microphone and asked Dana why she was not fighting, when Amanda said that she had already recovered from coronavirus on social media, and has tested negative.
Julianna Peña Exposes Amanda Nunes
Speaking in an interview after the incident, Julianna Peña explained that she felt compelled to ask the question when she saw the open mic, asking for permission beforehand. Unfortunately it was all for naught, as she did not get any more answers to why Amanda Nunes could not fight.
“It was what was kind of given to me when she told me she pulled out,” she said. “It was just thrown up in the air as far as December, who knows, maybe something soon. So it’s just me doing the hurry up and wait game. It’s really frustrating.
That being said, Peña is quite frustrated with the fact that Nunes has pulled out of this fight multiple times, with more than once being due to COVID-19. Furthermore, she explained that she was able to look through Amanda and her wife Nina’s social media, and see that things did not add up with the timeline of events she was given.
“This is her third time pulling out of a fight, second time from COVID, and it’s just kind of confusing to me, just because Nina had posted on her story on Instagram that they’d been locked down for 11 days and tested negative, and they’re happy to be able to get out of the house,” she said. “But the timeline doesn’t really add up because of the time they called and told me she tested positive. I’m just kind of confused about the whole thing, because if she was negative when Nina posted, then she still could have made the fight.
“There’s all sorts of situations that happen during a fight camp, and I’m understanding of that and I sympathize. But this fight was my top priority, and staying healthy has been hard for me as well, but I made sure I could do everything that I was contractually obligated to do and show up for fight week, and she did not,” Peña continued. “And so I’m just frustrated, because I’ve literally seen her jumping up and down screaming at the top of her lungs during the Olympics when she’s saying she’s super sick with COVID.”
Amanda Nunes Responds
Of course, with the video of Juliana Peña going madly viral, Amanda Nunes caught wind of what she was saying. Taking to Twitter, the featherweight and bantamweight queen gracefully and flirtatiously shut down the challenger, promising they would face off soon.
“Hey @VenezuelanVixen Did you ask about me? I’m here in sunny south Florida. I’m just as excited to see you too. Hopefully soon. Btw. You looked great tonight,” Nunes wrote.
Hey @VenezuelanVixen Did you ask about me? I’m here in sunny south Florida. I’m just as excited to see you too. Hopefully soon. Btw. You looked great tonight.
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) August 6, 2021
While this frustration does seem legitimate, it only adds some excitement of a fight between Amanda Nunes and Juliana Peña, which was flying under the radar. Hopefully no further delays happen, and they can finally meet in December.
