Former TUF Winner Julianna Pena ‘Definitely’ Fighting Again After Pregnancy

Some have questioned if the fighting career of Julianna Pena is over.

The former Ultimate Fighter winner silenced that thought during a recent interview on UFC Tonight.

Pena confirmed that she is pregnant, but is planning on returning to the Octagon.

“Definitely. People are saying I’m retired. But that’s definitely not the case for me. I’ll take eight months to a year to come back,” she said. “It’s selfish to be in a fight camp. You’re a crazy person already. I want to get that bonding experience with that kid for that first year before I come back.”

The 28-year-old Pena (8-3) dropped a fight vs. Valentina Shevchenko in January via submission, snapping her four-fight win streak. She pointed to several fellow UFC fighters as inspiration to be both a mother and a fighter.

“Those women are inspirations to me. Davis, McMann, Waterson. They’re moms and they fight ferociously. It’s going to be such an amazing comeback for me, to show other women who are watching because I’m a mother now,” she said. “It’ll be very important to be a role model for women that you can be brave and show them they can do things they don’t think they can do.”

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