One former UFC champion with Venezuelan roots is firmly behind the United States invasion of the South American country.On Saturday, Donald Trump announced that the US had carried out a “major attack” against Venezuela, capturing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The attack has sparked mixed reactions across the U.S., but so have many people of Venezuelan descent
celebrated Maduro’s arrest. That includes former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Pena, who is dubbed “The Venezuelan Vixen” in the Octagon. Although Pena was born in Washington, her father is from Venezuela.
On Tuesday, Pena released a statement supporting President Trump and the attack on Venezuela.
A road to freedom
“Hi, my name is Julianna Peña,” Peña wrote on Instagram. “I’m proud of my American, Venezuelan, Mexican and Native American heritage, but in the MMA world, people know me as ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’. I was given that nickname by the man who taught me how to fight, as a way to honor my father and his bloodline. When I was a child, my parents took us to Venezuela. It was beautiful. I enjoyed learning about the history, the culture and everything that made the country so special.“There was a time when Venezuela was one of the richest and most promising countries in the world. But in the past fifteen years, everything has changed. What once flourished fell into chaos under the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro. Visits became dangerous and our family was warned not to return. My family members have suffered in ways that I would not wish on anyone: real hardship, fear and loss. That is why I fully support what my President and his government achieved on January 3. I am hopeful that Venezuela will finally path to freedom and a future that looks more like the country I remember from my childhood. I am proud to be Venezuelan – whether people accept it or not.”
Venezuelan UFC fighters Piera Rodriguez, Alberto Montes and Yuneisy Duben also expressed their happiness over the situation on their social media accounts.
Pena, who competed on Season 18 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” secured one of the biggest upsets in UFC history when she submitted Amanda Nunes in the second round of UFC 269 to become the bantamweight champion in December 2021. Pena would lose to Nunes in their rematch, but regained the 135-pound strap with a split verdict over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307. The 36-year-old Sikjitsu representative relinquished the title to Kayla Harrison via second-round submission in her most recent appearance at UFC 316 last June. Pena currently does not have another fight booked.
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