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Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña is inching closer to an Octagon return as two former rivals prepare to fight.
As Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes prepare to clash at UFC 334 next month, their mutual rival, Julianna Peña, has been on the sidelines for 1 1/2 years. Peña hasn’t fought since losing the UFC women’s bantamweight title against Harrison in the UFC 316 co-main event last year.
After suffering multiple injuries against Harrison, Peña still hasn’t fought in 2026 as she looks to potentially return to the bantamweight title mix. Her two-time rival, Nunes, will make her first UFC appearance since announcing her retirement at UFC 289.
As Peña attempts to ramp up her activity level, she’ll appear on the Real American Freestyle wrestling mats against a former Bellator standout.
Julianna Peña set to make Real American Freestyle debut vs. former Bellator standout
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As announced by Real American Freestyle on Tuesday, Peña will face Diana Avsaragova on November 14th in Abu Dhabi.
Avsaragova will make her RAF debut in her first combat sports appearance since a loss to Elora Dana at PFL 2 in 2025. She earned wins over Alejandra Lara, Tara Graff, and Gabriella Gulfin during her five-fight stint in Bellator.
Before losing to Harrison at UFC 316, Peña won the then-vacant UFC women’s bantamweight championship by defeating Raquel Pennington at UFC 307. She pulled off arguably the greatest upset in UFC history by defeating Nunes at UFC 269, before a loss in their UFC 277 rematch.
As of this writing, it remains to be seen when Peña will return to the UFC Octagon. A matchup with Ailin Perez, who recently defeated Norma Dumont, is a possibility for Peña’s next opponent.
RAF Abu Dhabi is headlined by a cruiserweight crossover title match between former UFC middleweight champ Khamzat Chimaev and Colby Covington. Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Abdulrashid Sadulaev also returns against Daurn Kurugliev.
Who should Julianna Peña face in her UFC bantamweight return? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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