Julianna Pena stopped Amanda Nunes by submission with a rear naked choke in the second round at UFC 269 on Saturday night, claiming the bantamweight title from the long-reigning two-division champion in one of the biggest upsets in recent UFC history.
Pena (11-4) was a 10-1 underdog against the vaunted Nunes, widely considered the greatest fighter in the history of women’s mixed martial arts. Nunes had won 12 consecutive fights since 2014 and reigned simultaneously atop the 135-pound bantamweight and 145-pound featherweight divisions for three years.
JULIANNA PENA SHOCKS THE WORLD 🌎 <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFC269?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#UFC269</a> <a href=”https://t.co/LNr4amWe94″>pic.twitter.com/LNr4amWe94</a>
—@ufc
After Nunes largely dominated the first round with two knockdowns and superior striking, Pena shockingly hurt Nunes with punches in a slugfest start to the second round. Pena then got Nunes to the ground, got her back and forced the champion to tap out with a choke around her neck with 1:38 left.
Pena had won just two of her four fights over the past 5 1/2 years, and the Spokane native got the title shot as one of the few legitimate 135-pound fighters that Nunes hasn’t already beaten.
Nunes was fighting for only the third time in two years after making two featherweight defences since her most recent defence of her bantamweight belt in December 2019. Few opponents had even given her a stiff challenge since her second victory over current flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko by split decision in 2017.
More Stories
It’s ‘a labour of love’ on and off the rink as Ontario roller derby team preps for playoffs in U.S. | CBC News
FIBA Men’s 3X3 Basketball World Tour: DAY 2 – Utsunomiya
CBC Sports Late Night: 2024 Athletics Wanda Diamond League – Shanghai – Suzhou