Juliana Pena and Valentina Shevchenko will be headlining the first UFC On Fox card of 2017, Pena plans on walking away victorious in that fight and she plans on getting the next UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title shot. If a title shot isn’t awarded to her, expect a lot of hell to be raised.
"That's the notion that I picked up and if not this time I will raise hell. I think Dana knows that I'm a firecracker, and I definitely don't think that he wants see the wrath that will come if I don't get a title shot after this. I would be shocked. I won't say that it couldn't happen because anything can happen, especially in this sport. But I think that he definitely knows that I'm the clear cut answer for getting a title shot. So I don't want to even put that in the universe. If I don't get a title shot, I quit,” Pena said on the 5ive Rounds Podcast.
While Pena is not happy to be battling Shevchenko instead of getting a title shot, she believes getting the win would finally help her get that long awaited opportunity at the gold.
"I'm not happy about this fight and it has absolutely nothing to do with Valentina and everything to do with me acquiring more of a resume than any female in the 135-pound division. I have beaten everybody that they've put in front of me. I've yet to lose. I've still not been able to fight for a title. These girls coming off of knockouts and they get to fight for the title again. Girls that I've beaten, girls that didn't get past me on The Ultimate Fighter getting to fight for the title. I still have yet to wrap my brain around the fact that I have beaten everybody and still can't sniff a title shot. I don't understand why that is. In this case I was offered a main event spot with a little bit of a more sweetened deal and that made me realize that this is the fight that I need to take now. Once I get past this one I can set my sights on the title shot which is what I've been gunning for this whole entire time,” Pena said.
One of the reasons that Pena believes that she hasn’t gotten a title shot yet is due to the inability to market her to the public, even though she is the first female winner of the UFC Ultimate Fighter.
"Absolutely not. I'm the first female to win The Ultimate Fighter, ever, in the history. That's marketing enough in itself. I beat all those girls and I finished them and all the girls I've fought and beat currently. Cat Zingano is still one of the toughest girls in the division in my opinion. I just feel like they definitely haven't marketed me in the way like I feel I should be marketed. And that's unfortunate and it drives me nuts but what am I gonna do? I feel like I keep complaining and people are tired of hearing me complain. I'm tired of hearing myself complain. It's like put up or shut up. Just go in there and fight and do your job and let the rest handle itself. Like Dana said, trust the timing of your life,” Pena said.
UFC On Fox 23 takes place on Saturday, January 28 from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado with Juliana Pena and Valentina Shevchenko headlining.
