Julianna Pena was rushed to the hospital to see a plastic surgeon following her gruesome defeat to Amanda Nunes at UFC 277.
Here is everything you need to know.
Julianna Pena saw a plastic surgeon after she lost a ‘chunk of forehead’ in defeat
Julianna Pena defeated Amanda Nunes in UFC 269 and earned the title of bantamweight champion last December.
However, this time the 32-year-old athlete was knocked down three times by Nunes when they both locked horns at a rematch held in Texas.
In addition to her bruising defeat, Pena was reportedly left with a gaping wound on her forehead after the judges unanimously voted in Nunes’s favor.
The judges scored the fight 50-45, 50-44, 50-43 and rewarded Nunes with a bantamweight belt.
UFC president Dana White revealed during an interview, ‘Julianna’s got a big chunk missing from her forehead. She’s going to see a plastic surgeon right now. She’ll take some time to heal, and then I don’t know.’
Furthermore, he went on to say, ‘She got pretty banged up tonight. It was like five or six knockdowns in the first two rounds. She was hurt. She needs to take some time off, relax, spend some time with her daughter and then we’ll go from there.’
Nunes reclaimed her bantamweight title as she put on a mixed martial arts clinic. She beat Pena during a five-round battle at the American Airlines Centre in Dallas on Saturday.
White added, ‘I thought it was completely dominant. There were five knockdowns in the first two rounds. There is a big difference between submission attempts and knockdowns. They are not even comparable.’
He continued, ‘Julianna’s tough as nails, and her will to win is second-to-none. She wanted to win. I think as dominant as Amanda was – and she was dominant tonight – I didn’t think it was close in any way, shape, or form. It was a complete shutout.’
Julianna Pena gives an update on her health status
Following the reports of Julianna Pena missing a ‘chunk of forehead’, she herself took to social media to clear the air about the extent of her injuries.
She wrote, ‘Tougher than a two-dollar steak. Thanks for the love, everyone! Just a cat scratch that required a few stitches, no chunks missing, no surgery necessary. Love you. all! We’re 1-1 now.’
Pena clearly states that her wounds are not as bad as they were being reported. Moreover, she mentioned that she is looking for her trilogy rematch with Amanda Nunes soon.