Spokane native Julianna Peña to fight Amanda Nunes on UFC 269

Julianna Peña is set to fight Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes on Saturday on the UFC 269 card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“I’ve been waiting 12 years for this opportunity,” Peña said.

The Mt. Spokane High graduate trains with Spokane’s Sik-Jitsu fighting systems team and lives in Chicago. She is the No. 3 UFC women’s bantamweight contender and is ranked No. 11 on the UFC women’s pound-for-pound chart.

The fight was originally scheduled for Aug. 7 at the Toyota Center in Houston, but was delayed due to Nunes testing positive for COVID-19.

A canceled or called-off fight happens in the Mixed Martial Arts world, Peña said.

“That’s why at the end of the card it always says, ‘Cards subject to change.’ … You just got to roll with the punches,” she said.

Peña was not worried about the setback, citing her faith in God to work it out.

“I knew that eventually everything was gonna fall into place the way that it should,” she said, calling the delay “just a minor setback,” and saying she and Nunes would eventually meet in the cage.

“I just knew that I just needed to be patient, trust God’s timing and wait a little bit longer,” she said.

Despite the delay, Peña stayed hungry for the championship belt. She was active, going to various fight camps and honing her skills. Her plan for the fight has not changed, and she still has a laser-like focus leading up to the fight.

Throughout her MMA career, Peña said she has been underestimated. When she competed on the reality TV series “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate,” her opponents and teammates doubted her ability to win primarily due to her attention on her appearance.

“I don’t think that whether I wear makeup or don’t wear makeup has any bearing at all on the fight or my fighting ability,” Peña said. “You got to know how to fight at the end of the day, and that’s the most important thing.”

Peña won the 18th installment of the Ultimate Fighter and became the first woman to win the show. After winning a UFC contract, she went on to secure 11 wins: three by knockout, five by submission and three by decision. Still, she said people doubt her abilities.

This fight is no exception. Nunes is a heavy favorite to win UFC 269. The bantamweight champion is 21-4 compared to Peña’s record of 11-4.

“When all the odds are stacked against you, the pressure (is) more so on the other person because they’re already counting me out,” Peña said.

According to Peña, she is in the prime of her life.

“I’ve never been more focused mentally and physically,” she said. “I’m not going to be able to tell you what (Nunes is) going to do or what she does. I can only be focused and solely responsible for what I do and how I react.”

Winning the bantamweight championship belt is something Peña has looked forward to for years. Her focus has been on herself, staying positive and staying in the zone.

“I’m willing to do anything and everything that it takes in order to get this win,” she said.

For Peña, the fight is not about being the first woman to take the championship belt away from Nunes.

“It’s about me and just challenging myself and growing to my fullest potential and expressing myself to my fullest potential,” she said.

Peña’s other goal is to inspire women to rise above the stereotypes society puts on them. “You are your only limit,” she said. “(I want to) be that role model for other women to let them know, ‘You are capable of literally doing anything that you set your mind to.’ ”