Raquel Pennington Rejects Julianna Peña's PTimeframe For UFC Title Fight: 'I Don't Know Why She Think She Calls The Shots'

After Pennington emerged as the successor to Nunes at 135 pounds, "The Venezuelan Vixen" was quick to begin the sell for her expected opportunity to regain the throne in the new champ's first defense.

But while Peña is targeting a second quarter return this year, Pennington told the former bantamweight queen that they'll do things on her terms during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani.

"I'm excited to finally punch her ass in the mouth, I'll say that," Pennington said. "That's the one that makes sense... That's the fight I want next... I don't know why she thinks she calls the shots. I'm the champion now. I know she's talking June or July, but Tecia's got some exciting news coming back. It's her focus now.

"I do want some time off. I want to spend time with my family... Tecia really held down the fought throughout this whole camp... I wanna let Tecia do her thing," Pennington continued. "So, I'm thinking, honestly, probably not until at least August, maybe September, or even later than that. We'll see."

Should Pennington's first defense come in August or September, Peña's layoff will surpass two years. The TUF 18 winner hasn't been in action since losing the title in a beatdown at the hands of Nunes at UFC 277 in July 2022.

Since then, "The Venezuelan Vixen" has been ruled out of a planned trilogy with the "Lioness" and last month's vacant title fight due to injuries.

But although she's evidently chomping at the bit to get back in the Octagon, Pennington is looking to enjoy the early days of her reign and place focus on her family and the ambitions of her wife, fellow UFC fighter Tecia Torres.