When the UFC announced that Ronda Rousey would be returning from her almost year-long hiatus to challenge Amanda Nunes for the UFC women's bantamweight championship, third-ranked UFC women's bantamweight Julianna Peña was less than pleased. Feeling that she had done enough to earn the next crack at the champion, Peña threatened to leave the UFC and fight elsewhere. Ultimately, that didn't happen and she signed on to fight second ranked Valentina Shevchenko in the main event of UFC on FOX 2. And while Peña is trying to make the best of a less than ideal situation, you can tell she's still upset with the UFC.

Speaking with ESPN's the 5ive Rounds Podcast this week, Peña explained her unhappiness with the Shevchenko fight and why she agreed to it, despite her very vocal protests.

"I'm not happy about this fight and it has absolutely nothing to do with Valentina and everything to do with me acquiring more of a resume than any female in the 135-pound division. I have beaten everybody that they've put in front of me. I've yet to lose. I've still not been able to fight for a title. These girls coming off of knockouts and they get to fight for the title again. Girls that I've beaten, girls that didn't get past me on The Ultimate Fighter getting to fight for the title. I still have yet to wrap my brain around the fact that I have beaten everybody and still can't sniff a title shot. I don't understand why that is.

"In this case I was offered a main event spot with a little bit of a more sweetened deal and that made me realize that this is the fight that I need to take now. Once I get past this one I can set my sights on the title shot which is what I've been gunning for this whole entire time."

Peña won the women's bracket of The Ultimate Fighter season 18 tournament, defeating Shayna Baszler and Sarah Moras with chokes before stopping Jessica Rakoczy with punches in the finals. Since then she has put together three more wins, her most recent victory being over former title challenger and sixth-ranked Cat Zingano at UFC 200. In the main event that evening, Nunes unseated Miesha Tate to become the new 135-pound title holder, and Peña began lobbying for a fight with her almost immediately afterwards.

Her future opponent Shevchenko is coming off an impressive upset victory over former champion Holly Holm. When the two finally meet, the winner figures to have the next bantamweight title shot guaranteed, or at least that's what Peña says she's been led to believe, and woe betide Dana White if that's not the case.

"That's the notion that I picked up and if not this time I will raise hell. I think Dana knows that I'm a firecracker, and I definitely don't think that he wants see the wrath that will come if I don't get a title shot after this. I would be shocked. I won't say that it couldn't happen because anything can happen, especially in this sport. But I think that he definitely knows that I'm the clear cut answer for getting a title shot. So I don't want to even put that in the universe. If I don't get a title shot, I quit."

However there is certainly the potential that Peña may get passed over even with a win. After all, the UFC announced this week that former champion and Rousey slayer Holly Holm would be fighting Germaine de Randamie for the inaugural women's featherweight championship at UFC 208 in February. Should Holm and Rousey both prove victorious, a rematch between the two with both belts on the line is likely one of the biggest possible events the UFC could put together in 2017. But don't get Peña started on that topic. She's not a fan of Holm getting the opportunity to fight for a title coming off back-to-back losses.

"That's BS. It's ridiculous. I asked to fight Holly. I asked to fight that girl and then she gets another title shot again. It's comical and whatever. That's what I think about that. It's bullshit but whatever. What am I gonna do? I've called them all out. I've asked to fight them. Harmless Holly is not going to be the end all be all to me and my career. I would love to fight her. I feel like I'm talking to a wall sometimes."

And therein lies the rub of being Julianna Peña: she wants to fight these contenders but the risk vs. reward isn't enticing enough compared to other opportunities for the big names. It's a problem of marketing, something Peña says the UFC doesn't do a good job of when it comes to her.

"Absolutely not. I'm the first female to win The Ultimate Fighter, ever, in the history. That's marketing enough in itself. I beat all those girls and I finished them and all the girls I've fought and beat currently. Cat Zingano is still one of the toughest girls in the division in my opinion. I just feel like they definitely haven't marketed me in the way like I feel I should be marketed. And that's unfortunate and it drives me nuts but what am I gonna do?

"I feel like I keep complaining and people are tired of hearing me complain. I'm tired of hearing myself complain. It's like put up or shut up. Just go in there and fight and do your job and let the rest handle itself. Like Dana said, trust the timing of your life."

Julianna Peña fights Valentina Shevchenko in the main event of UFC on FOX 23 on Jan. 28, in Denver, Colo.

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Kai Kara France (12-5) vs. Tatsumitsu Wada (16-8); Rizin World Grand Prix 2016: Second Round, December 29.

Andrei Arlovski (25-13, 1 NC) vs. Francis Ngannou (9-1); UFC on Fox 23, January 28.

Donald Cerrone (32-7, 1 NC) vs. Jorge Masvidal (31-11); UFC on Fox 23, January 28.

Tecia Torres (7-1) vs. Bec Rawlings (7-5); UFC Fight Night Houston, February 14.

Stefan Struve (28-8) vs. Junior dos Santos (18-4); UFC Fight Night Halifax, February 19.

Vitor Belfort (25-13) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (14-2); UFC Fight Night Fortaleza, March 11.

Edson Barboza (18-4) vs. Beneil Dariush (14-2); UFC Fight Night Fortaleza, March 11.

TODAY IN MMA HISTORY

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