Julianna Pena: “If I can stick her eyeballs out,” I will beat Raquel Pennington at UFC 307

Julianna Peña says she will do whatever it takes to beat Raquel Pennington and regain the UFC women's bantamweight title this Saturday at UFC 307.

“If I get to pop her eyeballs out, if I have to bite her damn finger, I’ll literally do everything I can to put my hand up,” Peña told MMA Fighting. “I don’t care come hell or high water, I guarantee you I’m ready to die in there like you saw. I won't stop until I achieve victory.

“So I don’t care if I pinkie-punch her, I don’t care if I one-arm her into submission, I’m going to do everything I can and I’m going to do everything I can to get it done to get my hand raised. I don't know how it will happen. I can't predict when, I'm not Nostradamus, I don't have a crystal ball. I just have confidence in myself and my game.”

The clash between The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 cast members will serve as the co-main event for the first of the UFC's two pay-per-view events in October.

Peña first captured the title in December 2021 with a stunning stoppage victory over Amanda Nunes at UFC 269. Eight months later, “The Venezuelan Vixen” was defeated by Nunes in the rematch at UFC 277, resulting in a lopsided unanimous decision.

While nothing can top the moment Peña pulls off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history against the seemingly unbeatable Nunes, Peña says it will be a challenge to stop Pennington's impressive six-fight win streak, twice Becoming champion is a close second.

“It will mean the world, it means that I clawed and clawed my way back to the top of the mountain and did it again,” Peña said. “'Peña Two-Time.', that sounds good to me. Of course, I do this sport for this reason. I want to go down in history as one of the best. I want to go down and the Hall of Fame is one of the best and I won't stop until I get there.

“It would be hard to top that moment (the win over Nunes). The first time I beat Amanda I blew the roof off the ground, but I'm looking forward to another chance, another attempt at gold. I’m just excited to raise my hand.”