In perhaps the greatest shock of all-time in MMA, Julianna Pena submitted Amanda Nunes in the second round of Saturday night’s UFC 269 co-main event to become the new bantamweight champion. “The Venezuelan Vixen” did exactly what she said she would do, and made the female MMA “GOAT” (greatest of all time) tap to a rear-naked choke at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to stun the world. “I told you – don’t ever doubt me again,” Pena told UFC commentator Joe Rogan in her post-fight interview. The incredible finish came after the 32-year-old American (11-4) bit down on her mouthpiece and engaged in a seemingly Ill-advised stand-up war with the Brazilian former double champ (21-5), who had not tasted defeat since 2014 – a run that encompassed 12 straight wins at bantamweight and featherweight. These reactions to Julianna Pena's win over Amanda Nunes 😳 @espnmma #UFC269 pic.twitter.com/z14Zrp5Xp7 — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 12, 2021 The two stood in the centre of the Octagon and traded, with Nunes fatiguing and eventually retreating to the fence, only for Pena to quickly take her back and pull off the unbelievable upset – having been a +1340 underdog at 1:55 in the first round, when “The Lioness” seemingly had her in trouble. “I thought she was gonna fight it [the choke] longer. She tapped,” Pena added. “I asked the commissioner if it was over, he said ‘yeah’, I said ‘OK, great’. “I definitely expected a win, and I’m just so grateful. The world is my oyster, and you literally have the ability to do anything you want in this life, and I proved that tonight.” Nunes had tripped Pena early in the first round, and continued to chop away at the first leg. She then dropped her with a jab, and hovered over her opponent looking for an opening. Pena went for a single leg but Nunes took the back with more than two minutes to go. But the challenger got back into the half guard and blunted the Brazilian’s offence by tying up her left arm with an attempt at a kimura, with Nunes unable to let her fists fly. Pena landed with a few early jabs in the second round and that seemed to wake up Nunes, who started to look more reckless than we had seen for a long time. And then Pena did the unthinkable, taking the fight to Nunes as her corner screamed for “pressure”. That she provided, and the finish came at the 3:20 mark. Nunes, who still holds the UFC featherweight title having previously beaten every woman to hold UFC gold in her two divisions, was gracious in defeat. “I did everything tonight … I trained very hard for this, but congratulations to Julianna,” she told Rogan. “But I’m gonna go back to the gym, train hard, come back strong. “Honestly, it’s no surprise at all. I know she’s a warrior, she was gonna come forward. I know she can get hit and still keep moving. Just today I shut down. I’m gonna fix a couple of things.”