Previously unbeaten in the 12 fights leading up to UFC 269 with a total of seven title defenses across two weight classes, Nunes opened fight week as a -800 betting favorite, with Peña coming in as the +500 underdog.
Between the Vegas odds and the expectations of UFC fans around the world, not many people expected a changing of the guard in the women’s bantamweight division — except, of course, for Peña.
“I know that I have everything that it takes. I know that I’m more than enough to get the job done,“ she said in an interview with UFC.com ahead of UFC 269. „Team underdog has kind of been my whole m.o. my entire career. So I’m definitely ready for those changes.”
Leading up to the fight, „The Venezuelan Vixen“ made it clear that she was the most dangerous challenger Nunes could possibly face, mostly due to the fact that unlike other competitors across the women’s bantamweight and featherweight divisions, she simply wasn’t afraid of „The Lioness.“
“In order to be the best, you’ve got to fight the best and it’s nothing personal. I respect her as a woman, I respect her as a mother, I respect her as a fighter. But I want to be the UFC bantamweight world champion and I want to fight the best, and in order to do that, you’ve got to take a shot at the king.“
Peña beat the best in astonishing fashion, securing a rear-naked choke submission late in the second round, taking her spot atop the women’s bantamweight throne — a spot in which she intends to remain.
