UFC president Dana White says there's a simple reason why women's bantamweight contender Julianna Pena can't get a fight.
She won't sign a contract.
Responding to a fan on Twitter asking what Pena has to do to earn a title shot against Amanda Nunes, White offered a succinct reply:
@PhoenixFitnessK @MMAFighting @UFCEurope @ufc @seanshelby @VenezuelanVixen @Amanda_Leoa not turn down fights she's offered
— Dana White (@danawhite) October 4, 2016
"The Venezuelan Vixen" has been vocal about wanting a big-money fight for her next match after dispatching Cat Zingano at UFC 200 to improve to 4-0 inside the Octagon. During an appearance on The MMA Hour on Monday, Pena admitted she was targeting a bout with Nunes or Ronda Rousey at UFC 205 in New York, though she stopped short of saying that she had actually passed on any fight offers.
"The only fight that made sense to me was me and Amanda both winning on UFC 200," said Pena. "The only logical thing and the only thing that I had in my head and that I was being told is that I'd be fighting for the title and the biggest, hugest card in the whole world is coming up at Madison Square Garden so that's the only place, time, and opponents that I was thinking about for that time frame."
Fair or not, it looks like Pena will have to do a lot more to impress the boss before she gets what she wants.
