Julianna Pena feels no remorse for Mayra Bueno Silva.
The No. 3-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s Bantamweight contender, Silva, revealed yesterday (Mon., Aug. 21, 2023) that one of her pre-fight United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug tests for her UFC Vegas 77 main event against Holly Holm last month (July 15, 2023) came back positive. Brazil’s “Sheetara” cited the test failure came as a result of her Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicine containing a banned substance. Therefore, Silva’s second round ninja choke submission win over Holm (watch highlights) is expected to be overturned to a no-contest and met with a suspension.
With the Bantamweight division’s title vacated by longtime reigning double champion, Amanda Nunes, in June 2023, Silva’s victory created for a perfect potential door to her getting a chance to fight for the title. The likely possible dance partner for Silva would have been the former champion, Pena, who has already bantered back-and-forth with her fellow top contender.
“#CHEATara, living up to your nickname,” Pena tweeted. “Back to being a curtain jerker of an Apex card you go. You fought two 41yr olds this year and you had to cheat in order to get it done. Can’t pass a #drugtest? Keep my name out of your mouth ya dumb broad!”
Silva’s impressive winning streak consisted of four straight wins since returning to the Bantamweight ranks in April 2022, winning the most recent three via submission. Before submitting Holm, the 32-year-old hit a kneebar that retired Lina Lansberg after an armbar of noted judoka, Stephanie Egger.
As for Pena, “The Venezuelan Vixen” hasn’t fought since dropping her title against Nunes in their July 2022 rematch via a one-sided unanimous decision (watch highlights). The pair were expected to compete in a trilogy atop UFC 289 in June 2023 until Pena was forced out of the bout with a rib injury. She’ll now likely act as one-half of the impending vacant title tilt opposite No. 2-ranked contender, Raquel Pennington, at a date to be determined.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
