Julianna Pena, it seems, just can't get the love she feels she deserves when it comes to vying for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women's bantamweight title.
Winner of four straight, including her previous victory over former title contender Cat Zingano at UFC 200 (video replay here), Pena -- who is ranked No. 5 in the world -- says she is baffled that she has yet to get to the big dance despite dominating everyone she faces, while less-deserving fighters are getting shots at the belt before her.
During her recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Pena unloaded her frustrations and laid down the gauntlet to any female fighter looking to prove she's the best to sign on the dotted line to meet her in the center of the Octagon.
"I'm ready to fight big fights and I am ready to fight for the whole enchilada, all the marbles, the big yellow banana, I want it all. I am ready to go when that fight comes. Until then, maybe I'll get ants in the pants, in the meantime, I'm just ready to fight. I'm ready to fight the best girls in the world and I am ready to show why I am the best fighter in the world. It's frustrating because girls that were on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) for the 115-pound division walk away with a belt, a 115-pound strap. Girls that were coaches on The Ultimate Fighter got to fight twice for the strap. There are girls that I beat on The Ultimate Fighter that other girls in the division didn't sign up to be on The Ultimate Fighter, they could've signed up, be on the tournament; but they didn't. I'm the only female that could have won that tournament at that time. For these girls to beat other girls that didn't get past me on The Ultimate Fighter, they go to split decision with these girls, and they get title shots. To me it's just baffling and I don't understand it. I don't understand why these girls keep getting these hand-picked fights against JV competition. It makes no sense to me and I don't know how much more I can make it clear that I am the only girl in the division that is unbeaten. I am the only girl that has fought a hell of a lot more people than anyone else and still have not got a title shot. They want me to go 9-0 and then get a title shot when the rest of these girls are 0-1 or 1-1 and 1-1-1 and still getting title shots. It's more of a popularity contest and clearly I'm not winning on that end. I know I'm the best fighter out there and I know I'm a nightmare matchup for any of these girls. If any of them are ready to test themselves with the best female fighter in the world, I am right here and I am ready to go."
Currently, there is no clear-cut contender for Amanda Nunes to face in her first-ever title defense, though all signs are pointing to it being Ronda Rousey, who gets first crack at "Lioness" later this year.
Should that be the case, you can expect "The Venezuelan Vixen" to spit more fire, as she says "Rowdy" is far from deserving the next championship fight seeing as how she got "knocked the 'F' out" in her previous fight by Holly Holm.
Anyone think Pena is getting the wrong end of the stick when it comes to handing out championship fights?