Julianna Pena’s husband is Luis Alejandre, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu trainer with whom she shares a 6 years old daughter named Isa Cruz.
Although the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion has not disclosed the exact date she got married, she has remained happily married to her husband for a long time now, and they have not had any scandal rocking their marriage. Find out all about her personal life here.
Julianna Pena’s Husband is Luis Alejandre
Julianna Pena’s husband is Luis Alejandre. While the fighter has not revealed where she met her husband or when they got married, there are speculations that the couple got married in 2018, a few months after the birth of their daughter.
Julianna Pena is not open about her marriage as she never posts pictures of herself and her husband. However, she regularly uploads videos and pictures of her daughter on her Instagram account.
Luis Alejandre is a Martial Artist
Julianna’s husband Luis is a Jiu-jitsu artist and instructor. He began training in Jiu-jitsu when he was 19 years old and holds a black belt in the art. Luis has worked as a martial arts trainer in various countries, including Thailand, Columbia, and Brazil.
He also founded an academy named Stronghold Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Chicago. The academy trains people of all ages and races in the art of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Judo, and Women’s Self Defense.
Julianna Pena and Luis Alejandre Have a Daughter Together
Julianna Pena has a kid with her husband, Luis Alejandre. Her daughter Isa Cruz was born on January 18, 2018, and at the time of her pregnancy, Juliana was engaged to Luis. The UFC fighter had to put her career on hold to prepare for the birth of her child. Julianna enjoys a close relationship with her daughter and even brought her along during her 2022 fight with Amanda Nunes.
Isa Cruz might be towing the career path of her parents as she began taking private lessons in Jiu-Jitsu from her father when she was just two years old. Her passion for martial arts inspired her father to set up Stronghold Jiu-Jitsu Academy and the academy’s logo.
Overview of Julianna Pena’s 34 Year-Old Life
Julianna Pena was born on August 19, 1989, in Spokane, Washington, United States, and is 34 years old. She is an American of mixed ethnicity, as her parents have Mexican and Venezuelan ancestry. She has not disclosed the name of her parents and the kind of childhood she had. Julianna has three siblings, one of whom is Grace Pena, a former KREM 2 morning/noon meteorologist.
Juliana attended Mount Spokane High School and after she graduated, she proceeded to Spokane Community College, where she obtained her college degree. There is no information available about any other academic qualifications and achievements she has.
Julianna Pena has had a Successful Career as a Fighter
Julianna Pena first started as a waitress in Spokane before she decided to follow her passion by registering for a kickboxing class. She competed in several amateur fights before making her debut in professional mixed martial arts on May 9, 2009. Her debut had her fighting against Raylene Harvey and eventually winning her very first match. She went on to participate in other fights, losing and winning some.
In 2018, Julianna was made the announcer for Combate America’s English Language broadcast on DAZN. In her fighting career, she has participated in a total of 16 matches, losing 5 and winning 11 of the matches. She ranks #1 UFC women’s bantamweight and #3 in the UFC women’s pound-for-pound.
She is the First Woman to Win the Ultimate Fighter Championship
Julianna joined The Ultimate Fighter in 2013, becoming a member of the Tim Rousey vs. Team Tate. She won her fight against Gina Mazany after two rounds and then defeated Jessica Rakoczy in the finals using a technical knockout. This made her the first woman to ever win The Ultimate Fighter.
In March 2014, Julianna sustained an injury, and this prevented her from competing in the championship. She joined the 2015 competition and won her fight against Milana Dudieva via a technical knockout. A year after she had her daughter, she faced Sara McMann and also emerged as the winner.
On December 11, 2021, Julianna engaged in her most famous fight against Amanda Nunes, winning the UFC’s Women’s Bantamweight Championship. A rematch was fixed between both fighters in July 2022, and Amanda won, taking the title from Julianna.
What is Julianna Pena’s Net Worth?
Julianna Pena’ has an estimated net worth of $2 million, and the bulk of this comes from fights she has won. For instance, in the fight against Amanda Nunes which she emerged victorious, Julianna smiled at the bank with prize money of about $300,000.
When compared to the highest earning UFC female fighter, more precisely the bantamweight division where Julianna also fights in, she is not the richest athlete therein. Ronda Rousey, with a net worth of $13 million, who earned as much as $3 million in her fight against Amanda Nunes, is the richest bantamweight female UFC fighter.
No doubt, in the years to come, Julianna should be earning this much, if not more, considering the effort she is putting into growing her career and ranking in the division.
She was Once Arrested for Assault
Julianna Pena was arrested in December 2015 for assault. After her training partner, Josh Gow, was injured during a brawl outside a bar, Julianna was denied entry into the bar’s restroom as a result of Gow’s bloodied nose. This infuriated her, and she kicked two employees of the bar in the groin. She was thrown out of the bar, arrested, and subsequently charged with two counts of assault.
Julianna was granted a stipulation order of continuance and volunteered to go for counseling to better help her manage her temper. The case was dismissed after one year since she was not involved in any other acts of misdemeanors.
Julianna Pena’s Social Media
Julianna Pena is active across various social media platforms, where she has thousands of followers. She is active on Instagram as @venezuelanvixen, on Twitter as @VenezuelanVixen, and on Facebook as @JuliannaPenaMMA. She posts pictures and videos of her daughter and her work across her social media accounts.