Julianna Peña may be nursing more than just a bruised ego after her loss at UFC 316, but the jury’s still out on whether the fight community is buying her explanation.
On June 7, in the co-main event of UFC 316, Peña was submitted in the second round by Kayla Harrison, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, making her UFC pay-per-view debut. It marked Peña’s second failed attempt at a title defense and another steep fall after the high of dethroning Amanda Nunes in 2021.
What followed the bout, however, has stirred just as much attention as the fight itself.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani, the former bantamweight champion revealed that she fought with a broken thumb and a torn elbow — injuries she claims severely limited her performance. According to Peña, the fight was “going perfect” until a single mistake on the ground led to the match-ending kimura. With just five seconds left in round two, she insists she was executing her game plan precisely: wearing Harrison down, waiting for that critical third-round momentum shift. Instead, she tapped, and the opportunity slipped away.
“I don’t regret competing… I just wish that I could have competed under better circumstances.
Knowing that I was going into the fight with that big of a handicap, definitely sucked, but then lo and behold, that’s actually the same arm that she isolated and was able to Kimura,… pic.twitter.com/PyZKzgOIWW
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 17, 2025
But her post-fight admissions didn’t sit well with everyone, least of all, fellow UFC bantamweight Cody Gibson.
“No one cares… It’s not a good look,” Gibson wrote bluntly on X. “Accountability = growth. No one cares.”
The critique echoed a growing frustration in the MMA community about fighters revealing injuries only after a loss. “If you sign the contract, you’re telling the world you believe you can win. It’s either true or it isn’t,” Gibson added. “Post-fight excuses are becoming more common, and they annoy me.”
1. No one cares
2. It’s not a good look
3. Accountability = growth
4. No one caresIf you sign the contract you’re telling the world you believe you can win. It’s either true or it isn’t. Simple as that. Post fight excuses are becoming more common and they annoy me 😂 https://t.co/MQdVPhUex3
— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) June 18, 2025
I am one hundred percent in agreement with Cody Gibson, and I am a huge Peña fan.
On top of that, Peña talks a lot, and I mean a lot of smack. Which is fine, sell the fight. But to talk all that smack and then talk about your “injuries“ after being flat-out beat is nonsense.
I just don’t want to hear it.
