The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 winner Julianna Pena has suffered a major knee injury in training that’s left her potentially facing up to two years on the sidelines.
Pena is reported to have torn her ACL, MCL, LCL and meniscus in her knee, with a torn hamstring only adding to her misery.
Information stemming from the ‘UFC Tonight’ show suggests that Pena’s injury came about as a result of an overly intense training session with minimal warm-up, and that’s left UFC president Dana White furious.
“What happened to @VenezuelanVixen at “her gym” is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard. Ranked #10 out for 2 years. #leavethatgymnow,” White wrote on Twitter when the news first broke.
The camp that Pena was most recently linked to is Sik-Jitsu in Washington, also home to fellow TUF fighters Sam Sicilia and Michael Chiesa.
Pena won TUF 18 last year, tapping out one of the show’s veteran stars, Shayna Baszler in the preliminary round before also submitting Sarah Moras to earn her spot on the final where she TKO’d Jessica Rakoczy.
The 24 year-old had been expected to fight Jessica Andrade at UFC 172 on March 15th, but Raquel Pennington, who reached the semi-finals of TUF 18, has now stepped in to replace her.
