"I could see that the tides had changed" - Julianna Pena details the moment Amanda Nunes became concerned in their title bout
The fight between Julianna Pena and Amanda Nunes, which the UFC is calling "the biggest rematch in UFC history," will be the main event of UFC 277 on Saturday evening. The first bout between Pena and Nunes is regarded by some fans as the greatest title upset in UFC history, so the anticipation surrounding the second fight is palpable.
In the fight-week media build-up, Julianna Pena was interviewed by Daniel Cormier. He mentioned a specific moment in the second round of Pena's fight with Nunes where Cormier and the other commentators noticed a change in Nunes' body language — a change that seemed to prompt Pena to go for the finish.
The current-bantamweight champion responded with this:
"I noticed her eyes got as wide as [dinner] plates... I could see that the tides had changed in those exchanges, absolutely."
Pena will hope to cause Nunes even more concern by defending her bantamweight title for the first time.
Watch the interview below from 4:40:
Julianna Pena wants to prove her first win over Amanda Nunes wasn't a fluke
Julianna Pena is set to defend her title for the first time at UFC 277 and wants to show the world that her first win over Amanda Nunes was not attributable to luck.
Pena was recently interviewed by Megan Olivi, and during the interview, the bantamweight champion reminded listeners that when her first fight with Nunes was booked, Pena said that she would grant an immediate rematch to Nunes when she beat her.
The following quote highlights the unbridled confidence Pena had going into that fight:
"You know I've got a bit of a chip on my shoulder that makes me very hungry and motivated. Everybody thinks that it was just a lucky punch, that [Nunes] just had an off night, that she slipped on a banana peel. And that's what I knew was going to happen.
Pena is aware of her job to shut the haters up with another victory at UFC 277.
"My job tomorrow night is to prove that it wasn't a fluke, that she didn't slip on a banana peel. It is the Pena Power Era, and I'm here to reign for a while."
Watch the interview below: