To be granted a title shot in the UFC, it used to be about winning fights. Lately though, the old way has gone out the window. It has now become how well you can sell yourself to the public regardless of if you are winning fights.
UFC women's fighter Julianna Pena is feeling the wrath of this newfound policy. She is undefeated in four UFC fights, a season 18 winner of The Ultimate Fighter and is currently ranked No. 5 in the bantamweight division. After defeating former title challenger Cat Zingano at UFC 200, it seemed all but certain a shot at new champion Amanda Nunes would be in order.
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But, that's where the how well you can sell yourself factor comes into play. Dana White has continually stated when Ronda Rousey is ready to return, she will be granted the chance to regain her belt.
For everything she has done inside the octagon, Pena thinks her employer is putting off something she feels she rightly deserves.
"I have beaten everybody they have put in front of me so far in that UFC octagon," Pena told Sporting News. "I feel like I’ve proven myself enough times that I’ve proven that I’m tough, proven that I can go in there and walk into the cage with any 135-pound female and hold my own. I’ve won all my fights. I really don’t feel like there’s too much more to prove. I feel they (UFC) are delaying me the shot that I want, the shot that I need, the shot that’s mine.
"I can’t understand that or wrap my brain around it right now. Maybe it will make sense later but right now it doesn’t. I don’t know if I have to shout off the rooftops and scream my head off until the cows come home. But I want my shot. I want my belt. I’m ready to show the world why I’m the toughest female out there right now."
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When she isn't fighting in the UFC, "The Venezuelan Vixen" is a commentator for Combate Americas which is the first U.S. Hispanic MMA sports franchise in history. The upstart company just aired their eighth event on Thursday and you can watch all their shows on UFC Fight Pass.
Coming up on Saturday in Los Angeles, Pena will be helping the Hispanic promotion host their first-ever open tryout. All men and women, ages 18 and over, who are interested in participating in the tryout with the opportunity to earn a multi-fight promotional agreement with Combate Americas can pre-register online at www.CombateAmericas.com. The 26-year-old rising star feels it takes a variety of things to become a successful mixed martial artist.
"I think mental toughness is the first one," Pena stated. "You got have it upstairs. You have to crazy enough to want to get locked into that cage and get beaned in the face by another human being. And that’s where you either got it or you don’t. Some people got it and some people don’t.
"I also look for their passion, their drive, are they willing to engage and are they really a fighter or are they dancing around the cage and want to be in a sparring match. I look for aggressiveness, aggression, do they want to put on an exciting fight or are they just comfortable on skating by."
Steven Muehlhausen is an MMA and boxing writer and contributor for Sporting News. You can find his podcast, The Fight Club Chicago and subscribe on iTunes . You can email him at [email protected] and can find him on Twitter @SMuehlhausenMMA .
