UFC contender Julianna Pena calls Ronda Rousey ‘emperor with no clothes’

Surging UFC women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Pena is sick of hearing everyone talk with such reverence about former champion Ronda Rousey and she’s ready to tell it like she sees it.

In her mind, Rousey’s luster was knocked off by that Holly Holm head kick in Australia in November and it’s not coming back regardless of how much anyone wants to believe in her potential comeback.

“She’s like the emperor in no clothes,” Pena told TMZ in a video posted early Thursday morning. “She’s broken a little bit.”

Pena wants a title shot against Amanda Nunes and believes she has earned it with four straight wins. Nunes, however, appears content to wait for Rousey’s return and the massive payday that would come with that potential title defense.

That’s not sitting well with Pena.

“I just think nobody really cares about Ronda Rousey and her fat arms anymore,” Pena said. “But I guess some people do so I guess Amanda’s going to wait around for that fight and we’ll see how that goes.”

Pena, 26, does have some history with Rousey. She was coached by Rousey’s arch-rival Miesha Tate on Season 18 of “The Ultimate Fighter” on a team that opposed a team led by Rousey.

Tate and Pena have remained friendly after Pena emerged as the season champion. Pena has endured a major knee injury and minor legal issues stemming from a bar fight in Washington to become one of the unquestioned top contenders in the division.

Pena believed her win over Cat Zingano at UFC 200 on July 9 would propel her into a title shot, but the belt is once again in a holding pattern if Nunes does choose to wait for a potential Rousey return.

That’s not a certainty. While there have been rumors Rousey plans to return in late 2016, no date has been set and Rousey reportedly underwent a minor procedure on her knee earlier this summer.

Pena’s not sure it will happen.

“I think (Rousey’s) going to come back before the end of the year. That’s what I’ve heard and what I’ve been told,” Pena said. “I’ll believe it when I actually see she has signed a contract on the dotted line then I’ll be more of a believer. But they say she’s coming back, so we’ll see.”

Pena did stop short of saying Nunes is scared to fight her, reiterating her belief the new champion, who was crowned at UFC 200 with a first-round submission of Tate, just wants to capitalize financially.

“I think she just wants to have the money fight,” Pena said. “Why defend your title when you can just wait around until Ronda’s ready to quit teasing everyone? I think that’s her gameplan.”

In the end, Pena believes it is an inevitability she will wear the belt one day.

They can delay me, but they can’t deny me,” she said. “(Nunes) knows she needs to fight me. All these girls know they need to fight me. I want my belt and I’m not going to stop until I get it.”

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.