UFC
TUF 19 winner Julianna Pena says she's been cleared to train already, aiming for future Ronda Rousey bout
Jul 25, 2014 - 1:45:37 PM TUF 19 winner Julianna Pena says she's been cleared to train already, aiming for future Ronda Rousey bout

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

When Julianna Pena had her knee blown out in training back in January, the damage was so severe that there was fear she'd be out for an extremely long time. This week, she revealed that she's well ahead of schedule, and has already been cleared to train.

"I'm so stoked, I'm so happy," Pena said while on the MMA Roasted Podcast (transcribed by FoxSports.com). "We're looking good."

Pena tore the ACL, LCL, MCL, meniscus, and hamstring on one leg when a training partner on her back brought her down awkwardly. While the incident wasn't caught on video, based on the descriptions of the incident it was likely very close to what happened to Keith Berish with Robert Drysdale on his back at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale.

Speaking of TUF, the TUF 18 winner from Miesha Tate's team isn't much of a fan of Ronda Rousey, and she's wholly confident that she'll not only get to a fight with Rousey, she'll beat her as well.

Said Pena simply, "It's not an 'I think,' it's an 'I know.'"

Penick's Analysis: If she's legitimately been cleared to train after only six months from that injury, it's remarkable, and very positive news. Pena showed off a lot of talent on TUF, and while she's got a long way to go to become an elite competitor, there's something there for her at 135 lbs. in the UFC.