Julianna Pena vs. Sara McMann added to UFC 257

An important women’s bantamweight bout between Julianna Pena and Sara McMann has been added to the upcoming UFC 257 pay-per-view card.

Pena vs. McMann was originally set to take place at UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar, but the fight was pushed back a week to UFC 257 instead. The bout will now take place on January 23 on the undercard of the Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 2 pay-per-view. With Pena and McMann both being ranked in the top-15 at women’s 135lbs, this is an important fight for both women as they look to move close to a bantamweight title shot.

MMAjunkie.com was the first to confirm Pena vs. McMann was added to UFC 257. The winner of this fight will be among the top women’s bantamweight contenders in the UFC.

Pena (9-4) is the No. 7 ranked women’s bantamweight in the UFC. The 31-year-old American has been a member of the UFC since 2013, when she won “The Ultimate Fighter” 18. Pena won the first four fights of her UFC career, including back-to-back wins over Cat Zingano and Jessica Eye, before losing by submission to Valentina Shevchenko. Pena then missed over two years of action after becoming a mother, but she returned with a decision win over Nicco Montano in July 2019 before losing by submission to Germaine de Randamie.

McMann (12-5) is the No. 9 ranked women’s bantamweight in the UFC. Like Pena, the 40-year-old American has been in the UFC since 2013 and she has racked up a 6-5 overall record in the promotion during that time. Some of McMann’s most notable victories include Alexis Davis, Lauren Murphy, and Lina Lansberg, who she defeated win unanimous decision in her last fight at UFC Raleigh earlier this year. McMann has not been very active in recent years due to a variety of factors, but she will look to stay more active in 2021.

Who do you think wins, Julianna Pena or Sara McMann?