"They can't even spell my name right" - Julianna Pena demands respect from UFC commentators after upset win over Amanda Nunes
![Julianna Pena (left), Amanda Nunes (right) [Image courtesy: @ufc]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/12/d9ae7-16393448429492-1920.jpg?w=500)
Julianna Pena defied all odds as she snapped Amanda Nunes’ 12-fight win streak to become the first woman in the UFC to defeat the Brazilian since September 2014. Pena pushed the pace in the second round and took the two-division champion down before locking in a rear-naked choke to win the prestigious bantamweight crown.
Despite her impressive resume, 'The Venezuelan Vixen' received very minimal pre-fight support from fans and the MMA community, however, she believes that she finally deserves some respect after pulling off the huge upset. During the UFC 269 post-fight press conference, Julianna Pena said:
"I definitely think that people have been sleeping on me and they have not been putting any respect on my name. They haven't been giving me as much as I feel like I deserve. You know, whenever the commentators talk about, you know, Amanda Nunes, they will say everybody else's name but mine. And they can't even spell my name right. They don't ever put the tilde over the 'n', you know. So, there's little things I'm like - man, can I get some respect?"
You can watch Julianna Pena's full interview at the UFC 269 post-fight press conference below:
Julianna Pena believes her impressive win over Amanda Nunes was a testament to her well-rounded ability
Leading up to the fight, many MMA experts and analysts believed that the only way Julianna Pena could find success against Nunes was if she managed to take her down early and control her on the ground. However, Pena was more than able to hold her own on the feet, even rocking Nunes prior to the submission finish.
Pena's ability to trade shots with a fighter of Nunes' caliber was something that came as a surprise to many, as she clearly proved that she has plenty of tools in her arsenal. In the post-fight press conference, Pena said:
“Everybody thinks I am just only versed on the ground or that I’m just a ground person, but in mixed martial arts, you have to be versed everywhere - on the feet, in the clinch, and I’m confident on the ground. Wherever the fight goes, I’m comfortable. Amanda’s been such a great champion, and she’s done so much for the sport, so for me to take down arguably the greatest of all time is something that’s still sinking in right now.”