Julianna Pena wants to know when her fight with Amanda Nunes is going down.
She wants to know so badly, in fact, that she “crashed” Thursday’s UFC 265 press conference, putting boss Dana White on the spot to reveal the date of the pair’s bantamweight title fight.
Pena was set to challenge double-champ Nunes this weekend in the co-main event of UFC 265. Nunes was forced to pull out following a positive COVID-19 test, but reports have surfaced since suggesting “The Lioness” tested negative in follow-up tests.
“Where’s Amanda, Dana. Where’s Amanda at?” Pena questioned during Thursday’s press conference appearance. When White replied by saying “she has COVID,” Pena fired back.
“It’s not too late to get her here. I heard that she tested negative.”
Whether you believe him or not, White professed ignorance over Nunes’ follow-up tests. “Oh yeah? I didn’t know that,” White responded. “Soon honey, you’ll be fighting soon. Sit back, enjoy the fights this weekend, and you will be fighting very soon.”
Pena wasn’t about to go quietly, though it was all in good fun, a bright spot in an otherwise dull presser. “When? I heard December, is that true?” inquired Pena.
“I don’t know if that’s true or not,” White finished.
If nothing else, Pena (10-4) is at least out promoting her would-be fight with Nunes. Whenever it happens. The 31-year old, who trains at Sikjitsu alongside UFC 265 welterweight Michael Chiesa, earned her shot at gold thanks to a submission win over former title challenger and Olympic medallist Sara McMann earlier this year.
Nunes (21-4), meanwhile, last competed at UFC 259 in March, defending her featherweight title for the second straight occasion. She submitted Megan Anderson in that bout. The champ-champ has won 12 straight fights dating back to 2015, running through a who’s who of both the bantamweight and featherweight divisions.
