Julianna Peña Is Not Impressed By Ronda Rousey’s Career

By Fight Sports Apr 6, 2022 Last updated Apr 6, 2022

Newly crowned UFC female bantamweight champion Julianna Peña is not impressed by Ronda Rousey.

She says that even though Rousey had one of the most dominant starts, it’s the end of the career that determines its value. Rousey suffered two knockout losses in her last two fights.

“Ronda is so old news, right?” Peña said on The MMA Hour.

“I think that what’s incredible about her is that she opened up the door and was destroying people in 10 seconds, and became a star because she was demolishing people in the first round, and that’s great — but she got knocked out twice and never came back. So how legit is she?

“She had to go to pro wrestling. And I get that and I think that that’s great. But as a fighter and somebody who is competitive, I know that — deep down — it probably truly bothers her, the fact that she went away off of two knockout losses and never came back to make her name good…

“I would like to invite her to please come back — and if she would like to come back, I would welcome her with open arms.”

Rousey suffered losses against Amanda Nunes and Holly Holm.

Before that, she was an undefeated finisher who had nine submissions and three knockout victories. Five out of her six fights, she finished in the first round.

Only Miesha Tate could handle her for two rounds, but was finished in the third round via submission arm-bar.

But it was Holm who served her first-ever loss while Nunes made it two in a row for the former champion by a first-round knockout.

“That’s what I’m saying, she’s kind of a joke in the MMA world now, because she’s a — what is the word? — sellout,” Peña said of Rousey.

Rousey retired after being defeated for the second time, and continued her career in the WWE where she collected a big payday.

“I thought she had a great [WrestleMania] match,” Peña said. “I thought she was very good, yes. And this is just from girl to girl as a fan — I’m a fan and I think that she’s great and I’m happy for her, and I think that it’s awesome what she’s doing in the WWE.”