It seems that Juliana Pena is next in line after the retirement of the greatest UFC fighter of all time at UFC 289. He opened the way to the throne in a big way for people, and now it is rumored that Pena can face a fighter who, if he wins, will become the youngest champion in the history of the UFC.
Amanda Nunes pulled off a seemingly easy win over Irene Aldana at UFC 289. The legendary Brazilian fighter was just too much for the young Mexican challenger. Nunes controlled Aldana in all aspects of combat and demanded her will whenever she wanted. Aldana landed some good shots, even getting back on her feet with relative ease early in the fight, but “The Lion” was just too much for her to handle.
Nunes retired after scoring the decision victory, and the legacy she left in the sport is sure to be remembered forever. There is no doubt that she is the greatest fighter to ever live, but she left the UFC behind in a dubious position.
As of now, there are no clear contenders to contest her vacated throne besides Juliana Pena, who defeated Nunes at UFC 269 in one of the most upsetting upsets of all time. The Lionness was supposed to take the throne at UFC 277, and the three-way fight between the two was supposed to go down at UFC 289. However, due to broken ribs he suffered in training camp, The Venezuelan Vixen had to withdraw and Irene Aldana came out in her place.
Juliana Pena and Erin Blakenfeld for the vacant women’s bantamweight title?
As reported by MMA journalist Aaron Bronster on TwitterYoung Erin Blanchfield has now thrown her “hat” for the opportunity to fight for the now vacant bantamweight title against Juliana Pena.
“One of the nominees throwing her name in the hat for the vacant bantamweight title is Erin Blanchfield,” Bronster said on Twitter. “…with the next Grasso/Valentina bout expected to be at flyweight, she is interested in facing Pena for the vacant title and becoming the youngest-ever UFC champion.”
Young and hungry UFC star, ‘Cold Blooded’ Erin Blanchfield is showing incredible promise. At 11-1, she has shown that she will not be easily defeated in her quest for UFC gold. What’s more impressive where Blanchfield took these victories at . All of her professional fights come from either Invicta FC (the premier feeder organization for all top female talent in the UFC) or the UFC itself. She is actually 5-0 within the UFC octagondefeating formidable opponents such as the dangerous veteran Jessica Andrade and the sexy and powerful Molly McCann.
As far as whether Blanchfield will get her wish to fight for UFC gold remains to be seen. However, the UFC has historically shown that they love making history, and the “Youngest Champion in UFC History” has a huge hand in that.
Who do you want to fight Juliana Pena for the vacant women’s bantamweight title?