All your favorite teams and sources in one place

Build your feed

Your Teams.
All Sources.

Build your feed

© 2024 BVM Sports. Best Version Media, LLC.

No results found.
Julianna Peña stops Nunes, claims belt in UFC 269 shocker
Julianna Pena, right, throws a right to Amanda Nunes during a women's bantamweight mixed martial arts title bout at UFC 269, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chase Stevens)

Julianna Peña stops Nunes, claims belt in UFC 269 shocker

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Julianna Peña stopped Amanda Nunes by submission with a rear naked choke in the second round at UFC 269 on Saturday night, claiming the bantamweight title from the long-reigning two-division champion in one of the biggest upsets in recent UFC history.

Peña (11-4) was a 10-1 underdog against the vaunted Nunes, widely considered the greatest fighter in the history of women’s mixed martial arts. Nunes had won 12 consecutive fights since 2014 and reigned simultaneously atop the 135-pound bantamweight and 145-pound featherweight divisions for three years.

After Nunes largely dominated the first round with two knockdowns and superior striking, Peña shockingly hurt Nunes with punches in a slugfest start to the second round. Peña then got Nunes to the ground, got her back and forced the champion to tap out with a choke around her neck with 1:38 left.

“It feels crazy,” Peña said. “I definitely expected to win, but the world is my oyster.”

Peña had won just two of her four fights over the past 5 1/2 years, and the Spokane native got the title shot as one of the few legitimate 135-pound fighters that Nunes hasn’t already beaten.

Nunes was fighting for only the third time in two years after making two featherweight defenses since her most recent defense of her bantamweight belt in December 2019. Few opponents had even given her a stiff challenge since her second victory over current flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko by split decision in 2017.

___

More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports