Julianna Peña is determined to earn a title shot if she is victorious on Saturday night, but she’s facing tough competition in Germaine de Randamie. Peña was the first woman to win The Ultimate Fighter, and although she’s 9-3 in her MMA career, she’s only had one loss in the octagon. Here’s why I think with a solid win on Saturday, Peña should get a shot at the belt.

Medical Layoffs = More Time To Practice Your Craft

Peña is no stranger to UFC layoffs. From knee injuries, to a pregnancy, Peña has had plenty of time to watch from a far and shake the ring rust. After three years outside of the octagon, Peña put on a dominating grappling performance against Nicco Montaño to earn the victory. Taking fights on short notice is risky for athletes, but Peña used it to showcase her skills and prove she is a top contender. Some fighters struggle after long periods of time outside the cage, but Peña has proved time and time again that time outside the octagon is no issue.

Peña’s Only Loss In The UFC Is To Valentina Shevchenko

Lets be honest, not many can compete with Valentina Shevchenko. From practically beheading Jessica Eye, to elbow striking her way to a victory over Katlyn Chookagian, Shevchenko is one of the greatest fighters of all time. Peña losing to Shevchenko isn’t something to be ashamed about considering how legendary Valentina’s career truly is. I mean, Shevchenko has gone a total of 8 rounds against the WMMA goat Amanda Nunez. Peña lost against Valentina in 2017 and has had three years to improve her grappling and submission defense skills. I’d love to see Peña and Shevchenko run it back should she win on Saturday.

A Victory Over Germaine de Randamie Is A Huge Accomplishment

Sure, Germaine de Randamie doesn’t have the best record in the UFC, but she’s a former UFC champ. With notable wins over Raquel Pennington, Holly Holm, and Aspen Ladd, Randamie is no walk in the park. Randamie is 9-3 in her MMA career with last performance ending in a loss against Amanda Nunes. Randamie is as tough as they come and this fight will be an entertaining one for WMMA. The UFC seriously needs to consider giving Peña a shot at the title should she win on Saturday. The WMMA divisions are so light that it would benefit the organization to give Amanda Nunes a new challenge. MMA fans are sick of seeing Nunes fight the same fighters over and over again. Peña has the grappling and submission skills to pull off the victory and add some new excitement to WMMA. As Uncle Dana would say “We’ll see what happens.”