Did Julianna Pena win The Ultimate Fighter?

Yes, Julianna Pena managed to beat Jessica Rakoczy in The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale back in 2013. She also became the first woman to win the competition. Pena also beat three other competitors on her way to earning a UFC contract.

In her first outing in the competition, Pena managed to beat Gina Mazany via unanimous decision after just two rounds of fighting in the women's bantamweight division. 'The Venezuelan Vixen' went on to win her next two bouts via submission. Both Shayna Baszler and Sarah Moras failed to make it past the second round.

Pena continued her finishing streak against Jessica Rakoczy in the finale, stopping her opponent in the first round.

Watch Pena speak about her Ultimate Fighter experience here:

After beating Jessica Rakoczy and officially joining the UFC, Julianna Pena adapted to life in the UFC very quickly. 'The Venezuelan Vixen' managed to win her first three bouts in the organization, beating Milana Dudieva, Jessica Eye and Cat Zingano.

However, her unbeaten UFC streak was ended in her next fight by Valentina Shevchenko. 'Bullet' managed to catch Pena in an armbar and won via submission in the second round at UFC on FOX 23 back in 2017.

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Who was the first woman to beat Julianna Pena in professional MMA?

After making her professional MMA debut back in 2009, Julianna Pena remained unbeaten in her first four outings in the sport. However, this impressive run came to an end when she faced Sarah Moras at ExciteFight in 2012. Moras became the first woman to beat Pena in professional MMA. Pena lost via TKO (Doctor's stoppage).

Pena faced Sarah Moras again in The Ultimate Fighter Season 18, with the two women fighting for a place in the finale. Pena submitted Moras in the second round and went on to win the competition.

In Pena's next fight, DeAnna Bennett managed to score a unanimous decision win against her in 2013.

However, stars seem to have aligned for the gutsy fighter. She captured people's imaginations and the UFC bantamweight championship with a submission win over Amanda Nunes in 2021 at UFC 269. Despite losing the rematch to 'The Lioness', the possibility of a trilogy bout between the two in 2023 looms large.