Following her win at UFC 192 last Saturday, Julianna Peña didn’t mince words when it came to what matchup she was looking for next. Peña wants the champ and it doesn’t seem like she’s going to back down from this demand.
“Dana White calls Ronda [Rousey] the Mike Tyson of MMA. Well I’m Evander Holyfield,” said Peña. “I’m right here. I’ll be your huckleberry.”
After the event had wrapped up, Peña told media members that she doesn’t see why she shouldn’t get the shot. Peña pointed out that both she and Rousey have 6-0 records in the UFC and that her win over Jessica Eye should be proof positive that she is ready to step up and take on the champ.
“Jessica Eye, after her loss to Miesha Tate, if she would have won, would’ve been next in line for a title shot,” Peña said. “Why not me?”
Here’s why not. Peña is undoubtedly a top ten bantamweight but she certainly hasn’t cracked the top five of the division. In her victory over Jessica Eye on Saturday night, Peña’s deficiencies in the grappling department were glaringly obvious at times; on one occasion, it appeared she was nearly submitted by an arm-triangle. Poor technique in the grappling department is not going to get you a win over Rousey who is hands down the best grappler in the division. With regard to Peña’s “6-0” record in the UFC, we must remember that 3 of those fights occurred in exhibitions on The Ultimate Fighter reality show and don’t really put her in the same win-loss category as Rousey. And lastly, outside of Eye, there are no truly noteworthy names on her list of wins.
So what do you do with a fighter like Peña if you are the UFC? She was once on the fast track to a title shot before a freak injury caused her to miss nearly two years of competition. Now back in the cage and with two fights under her belt, it appears that Peña is ready for a challenge. If she is truly ready to fight Rousey, she shouldn’t have any issue fighting other fighters at the top of the division. Here are three fights that would make more sense for Peña at the moment and would go a long way in securing her the title shot she craves.
- Cat Zingano
The one time title challenger, Zingano has the name value that Peña needs as she works her way to the top of the division. Zingano’s loss to Rousey was about as weird as it was amazing so the loss didn’t devalue her too badly. This is an added benefit for Peña who needs to show that she can finish a top-level fighter. Additionally, Zingano holds a win over Peña’s one time coach and friend, Miesha Tate, and everyone likes a little revenge thrown into the mix.
- Alexis Davis
Aside from being the number three-ranked fighter in the bantamweight division, Davis is also a former title challenger who saw her opportunity end rather abruptly to Rousey. A quick loss to Rousey is nothing to be ashamed of and hasn’t seemed to tarnish the reputation of the Canadian. Davis has wins over three of the top five fighters in the division and notable wins over Julie Kedzie, Shayna Baszler, and Liz Carmouche. A win over a fighter the caliber of Davis would almost certainly put Peña in the cage with Rousey. No revenge angle in this one but still one hell of a matchup.
- Miesha Tate
This one might sting a little for Peña. Tate has long been a supporter of Peña as they are both from the Pacific Northwest and Peña was Tate’s first pick on The Ultimate Fighter. There is no denying the boost it would give Peña if she had a win over Tate. Tate is clearly the second best fighter in the bantamweight division. Her game has improved greatly since her last defeat to Rousey and it was just a couple of months ago when it seemed she would be fighting for the title again. With Tate out of the title shot against Rousey, it seems that she has an open slot across from her. If Peña were to fill that slot and some how get a win over Tate, a matchup with Rousey would be almost a guarantee.
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