Julianna Peña is preparing for one of her most anticipated fights yet. On June 7, 2025, she will defend her UFC women’s bantamweight title against Kayla Harrison at UFC 316 in the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. ‘The Venezuelan Vixen,’ the defending champion, is no stranger to high-stakes confrontations, having reclaimed her belt by defeating Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 last October.
Harrison, ranked second in the division, poses a significant challenge, one that both fans and pundits are excited to watch unfold. Despite the hoopla around the bout, another chapter in Julianna Peña’s tale has sparked interest—and not for the reasons she would like.
The 35-year-old’s rise to prominence in the UFC was preceded by a dramatic arrest that called her fighting career into question. The circumstances of the incident are messy, and the consequences were severe, both legally and professionally. But what actually happened? Well, without further ado, let’s find out all about it.
Julianna Peña arrested on alleged assault charges
In December 2015, Julianna Peña’s name appeared in police reports instead of UFC fight announcements. ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ was detained in Spokane, Washington, after a strange and heated encounter outside Zola’s pub in the city’s downtown district.
Police reported a street brawl between the 35-year-old and her training partner, Josh Gow, near the Globe bar. Gow had been beaten, and his face was apparently covered in blood, and the two tried to get into Zola’s to clean him up. But the bar was closed, and the staff refused to let them in.
UFC star Julianna Pena arrested for kicking two men in the balls after bar brawl https://t.co/O4Z3LfdqrT pic.twitter.com/jITs3QIT7G
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) December 22, 2015
That’s when things allegedly went out of control. Witnesses reported that Peña got aggressive after being denied entry. According to the incident report, she kicked one employee in the groin, then did the same twice, to the bar’s owner outside the building.
Gow, who was described as clearly intoxicated, did not get physical but did make a commotion by wiping his bleeding face on the bar’s front glass. Officers came on location and found Julianna Peña and Gow to be drunk. As a result, ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ was detained at about 2:20 a.m. and released later on $2,000 bail. She was charged with two counts of assault, each with a maximum term of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Did Julianna Pena serve time in prison?
Contrary to popular belief, Julianna Peña was never imprisoned. Instead, her legal team reached an agreement with the court that kept her out of further problems. The 35-year-old was granted a stipulation order of continuance, which essentially stated that if she avoided any legal difficulties for a year, the charges would be dropped.
It was a second chance, and she made the most of it. Her lawyer, Carl Oreskovich, argued that the accusations should never have been filed in the first place, blaming the occurrence on a heated scenario that escalated out of hand. ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ claimed she was simply assisting a friend and training partner in need of medical assistance.
When they were turned away, she became emotional. While Peña had been quiet about the matter, later interviews revealed her desire to move on from it. The UFC, for its part, took the situation very seriously. While the court case was ongoing, the organization put Peña on hold and declined to schedule her for any fights.
They also hired a third-party legal firm to conduct an independent inquiry. Once the issue was resolved, the UFC granted her permission to return—but only if she agreed to participate in counseling as part of her comeback conditions. Since then, Peña has refocused on her career, achieving significant victories and reclaiming championship status.
While the 2015 arrest remains a contentious chapter in her story, she is ready to move on, and the fight against Kayla Harrison will further help her cement her legacy. What do you think? Will she emerge victorious at UFC 316? Let us know in the comments.
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