A champion’s journey — Julianna Pena’s Corner Side Experience
If beating an MMA legend and becoming the bantamweight champion of the world isn’t enough, doing it while being a full-time mom is another level of greatness. Even in these cynical times, it’s hard not to be inspired by Julianna pena’s story and everything she had to overcome. As the community manager of an ambitious web3 venture, but mostly as a new fan, I’m excited for the opportunity to collaborate with her in the next chapter of her story.
“I’m not one to run away in a fight. I’m the type of person to meet the fire head on” — That was her state of mind coming into the Nunes fight, and that’s the approach she takes in face of every challenge. And after shaking the world and rising to the top UFC echelon, she plans to bring the same disruptiveness to the NFT game.
As an innovator at heart, Juliana is harnessing blockchain technology and is on a mission to build a new kind of fandom. She offers her fans an intimate connection and open invitation to join her corner, as she’s getting ready to defend her title on July 30th.
Julianna’s NFT unlocks the gates for exclusive access to the champ’s life, embedded-esque content, and voting rights to impact her journey. And of course, you can expect some big drops including meet and greets, personal training sessions, and the wildest bucket list moment that any fan can dream of:
“One lucky fan will get the opportunity to walk out to the Octagon with me…They’re literally going to get to experience being in the back room, walking out to the corner, being in my corner, and basically being there and experiencing it in real-time. The only thing that they’re not gonna have to do is get punched in the face”.
Join her corner as she gets ready to claim the moment, own her experience and share it with the world.
Don’t sleep on Julianna Penna
As a veteran UFC fan, I must make amends and admit that I slept on Julianna Penna for too long. I guess It’s better late than never, as my attitude took a 180 turn on December 11th, 2021. That night, the ״Venezuelan Vixen״ had done what no one believed is possible and dropped more than just Amanda Nunes’s jaw, when she defied all the odds in the biggest upset in UFC history.
While far from presuming to be an expert, my pound-for-pound passion for the game can hang with most. And yet whenever such a dominant champion is raining, it’s easy for fans to look past the competition and I was no exception. I was naive to assume that Julianna Pena was just another name the UFC was feeding “The lioness”, to build the former champion’s GOAT status. In my defense, I was in good company as even the experts and bookmakers placed her as a 10 to 1 underdog.
I guess it’s just always hard to imagine anyone doing what seems to be impossible, until someone does.
Step inside the cage
In case you’re new to this modern-day gladiator scene and not sure what’s all the hype about, you’re in for a deep dive through the UFC rabbit hole. I’ve always been fascinated by the UFC’s origin story and its journey, from a wild circus show into a multi-billion dollar mainstream sport. The original concept alone sounds too wild to be real; Fighters from all disciplines stepping inside a cage, to determine which martial art is superior, sounds more like a Bruce Lee movie than a professional sport. But it’s enough to spark my inner child’s imagination.
The UFC has turned into a cult phenomenon by constantly promoting and matching up new stars, with backstories that are made for movies but as real as it comes. Everyone loves the drama and antics but after the hype is done and the cage is closed, the consequences get too real. There is just no other game that comes with such high stakes.
In such a wild and unpredictable sport, the unimaginable happens way more often than you would expect. It’s inherent to its excitement and as a fan, stories like Julianna’s are exactly why I fall in love with this game.
“I told you”.
It’s one thing to “play” the role of the contender, but entirely another to actually feel you belong in the cage with an apex killer like Amanda Nunes. And to truly believe you can succeed in what so many greats have failed, is a whole new ball game. But that game didn’t go her way in the beginning.
Even before Bruce Buffer’s infamous battle cry “It’s time”, Julianna’s body language seemed tight and her expression was sealed, while the champ looked loose and confident. Everything looked business as usual in the opening minutes. Amanda’s was connecting and her power was undeniable, as she dropped Julianna right off the bat. But while the champ was “big sistering” and beating her up in the cage, something felt a bit different. We never saw that “1000-yard stare” in the vixen’s eyes and she never stopped fighting, unlike most contenders who were ready to check out as soon as they felt what “The Lioness” is all about.
And in between rounds, when her corner reminded her this is exactly what she signed up for, she looked ready to get back in there and get that smoke. Amanda picked up exactly where she left off, litting her up with huge bombs and looking to finish the fight. And just as it seemed like this was about it play out exactly how it was supposed to, Julianna flipped the script upside down. You could feel the buzz in the air the moment when everyone suddenly realized this woman isn’t going anywhere and we have ourselves a fight
It’s as if the Vixen didn’t get the memo, she took the beating but never took a back step. She stayed right in her face and put the pressure back on her. A busted eye didn’t stop the contender from stepping inside the fire and landing more and more shots of her own. For the first time, it was Amanda who seemed to panic before mayhem broke loose. No one could believe what just happened. No one, besides one woman who summed it up in 3 words: “I told you”.
