5 TUF winners who shocked the world in the UFC
The Ultimate Fighter reality show has produced tons of top-level UFC stars over the years, but beginning with the inaugural season in 2005, fans and fighters alike often doubted the products of TUF.
The fact that many TUF winners have been doubted in the UFC proper has meant that plenty of them have been responsible for some of the biggest upsets in the promotion’s history.
JULIANNA PENA JUST SHOCKED THE WORLD!!!
SHE JUST SUBMITTED AMANDA NUNES!!!
AND NEWWWWWWWWW!!!
#UFC269 https://t.co/ITDFIq81ij
Whether it’s been toppling heavily favored opponents, or even winning a UFC title itself, we’ve seen TUF winners shocking the world for well over 15 years now.
With that considered, here are five TUF winners who shocked the world in the UFC.
#5. Julianna Pena vs. Amanda Nunes – UFC 269
The most recent TUF winner to leave the jaws of UFC fans across the world on the floor was Julianna Pena, who came out on top in the women’s bantamweight tournament on the 18th season of the reality show.
‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ looked excellent in her run on TUF, defeating a far more seasoned veteran in Shayna Baszler before overcoming Sarah Moras and Jessica Rakoczy. She was widely tipped for UFC success afterwards.
However, in the years that followed her TUF victory, Pena’s tenure in the octagon became one largely built on frustration.
She picked up some big wins, including victories over Jessica Eye and Cat Zingano, but also suffered a serious knee injury that kept her on the shelf for the best part of a year.
When she lost to Valentina Shevchenko in a title eliminator in early 2017, it looked like any aspirations of becoming a UFC champion were done, particularly when she then took a leave of absence to start a family.
While she looked decent upon her return in 2019, when the UFC announced that she’d be challenging Amanda Nunes for the bantamweight title at UFC 269, it felt like she was another hand-picked victim for ‘The Lioness’.
Instead, Pena stunned everyone by surviving a tricky first round before taking the fight to Nunes on the feet, landing some heavy punches to bust her up before taking her down and submitting her with a rear naked choke.
PENA SUBMITS AMANDA NUNES!!! RNC IN THE SECOND!!!
SHE CALLED IT!!
JULIANNA PENA IS THE NEW UFC WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION!
The win was immediately christened as one of the UFC’s greatest-ever upsets,. Pena had not only become the latest TUF winner to claim gold in the octagon, but the latest reality star to shock the world, too.