Julianna Peña sidelined for fight against Amanda Nunes due to fractured rib, Dana White says

UFC champion Amanda Nunes will face challenger Irene Aldana at UFC 289 next month. 

Julianna Peña was originally scheduled to face Nunes, but she will be unable to compete due to a rib injury. UFC President Dana White confirmed that Peña would not participate in the bout.

The new 135-pound matchup in Vancouver is set to headline the pay-per-view event.

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Julianna Peña battles Amanda Nunes in their Women Bantamweight bout during the UFC 277 event at American Airlines Center on July 30, 2022, in Dallas, Texas, United States.  (Alejandro Salazar/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“Unfortunately, [Peña] broke her ribs and she can not compete,” White said in an Instagram post. 

“We have Irene Aldana coming in, who has won four of her last five and three of those were finishes. We could have another Mexican world champion.”

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Aldana currently holds an 8-4 record in the UFC. She has won six of her past eight, with her most notable victory coming in 2019 via a first-round knockout of Ketlen Vieira.

Julianna Peña battles Amanda Nunes in their Women Bantamweight bout during the UFC 277 event at American Airlines Center on July 30, 2022, in Dallas, Texas, United States.  (Photo by Alejandro Salazar/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

On the losing end, Nunes suffered her most recent defeat to former champion Holly Holm in October 2020.

If Aldana is victorious, she would become the fourth active Mexican-born MMA champion. Flyweight Brandon Moreno, interim featherweight champ Yair Rodriguez, and flyweight Alexa Grasso make up the current group.

Aldana and Grasso are teammates at Lobo Gym.

Julianna Peña prepares to fight Amanda Nunes in their Women Bantamweight bout during the UFC 277 event at American Airlines Center on July 30, 2022, in Dallas, Texas, United States.  (Photo by Alejandro Salazar/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Nunes is widely considered the world’s top-ranked pound-for-pound female fighter. However, Peña was able to pull off an upset victory in December 2021.

In July 2022, Nunes dominated Peña in their second bout.

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Lightweights Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush are also set to go head-to-head in during the UFC 289 card. The event was initially scheduled for the first weekend in May but was postponed after Oliveira suffered an injury.