It’s been almost five years to the day since Julianna Peña lost to Valentina Shevchenko. As we now know, Peña was able to turn out just fine, currently sitting as the women’s bantamweight champion. But in the following article, we re-experience her raw reaction to losing in the UFC for the first time.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2017, 8:41 PM]
Headline: Julianna Peña Issues Statement After Losing to Valentina Shevchenko
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Julianna Peña may have lost her first fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), but the sky isn’t falling.
Peña was submitted in the second round courtesy of an armbar from Valentina Shevchenko this past Saturday night (Jan. 28). The loss was Peña’s third as a professional mixed martial artist (MMA). That almost means her four-fight winning streak was snapped.
On her Facebook page, Peña apologized to her fans for falling short in Denver. She believes the defeat will help her grow:
“So, so sorry about my loss you guys. Too hungry. At this level of competition, you cannot make the first mistake or you pay the price. This is a big-time learning experience for me. Time to move forward though. I take one look in the past and then I turn around and keep it pushing toward the future.”
“The Venezuelan Vixen” said she hasn’t lost sight of what’s important. A loss inside the Octagon isn’t going to make her forget about the people who have supported her.
“Michael Jordan missed shots and even the best MMA fighters have tasted defeat at some point in their career. My character is not defined by my wins and losses nor are they contingent on the amount of love I receive from those who truly matter to me. Thank you to those who realize how much work goes into this process. It takes a village to get to the big stage and I could not be more grateful for my team who continue to help me achieve my dreams on a daily basis.”
Peña ended her statement by showing appreciation for her fans.
“You guys motivate and inspire me to continue to be great. You guys are my mentors, my heroes, my main support and without you being there for me, there would be no ‘Venezuelan Vixen.’ Much respect, love and thankfulness to those who tuned in to the fight. Like the terminator says, I’ll be back.”
