UFC 205, the league’s triumphant return to New York was so sought after that Jim Miller vs. Thiago Alves was on Fight Pass, and both Frankie Edgar and Khabib Nurmagomedov competed on the FS1 prelims. However, top UFC women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Pena saw it differently.

I didn’t want to share the spotlight with Conor McGregor, said Pena to Dave Doyle for MMA Fighting. I’m realistic, I know that Conor is going to be the biggest thing that came out of UFC 205, for good reason. So if I wasn’t getting a title fight, why would I fight on that card when so many other people are getting attention? I want my fight to make the most impact. That’s why we didn’t agree to fight Valentina that night.

The other reason was that Pena hoped to get a title shot at division champion Amanda Nunes.

She had came out and said I was going to be next if Ronda Rousey didn’t come back, said Pena. I was ready for a title shot. But then Ronda came back from her long-ass vacation and they give it to her and I wasn’t happy about that.

Then the UFC offered Shevchenko again, in the main event on network television, over five rounds, with a title shot presumably on the line.

I said yes to this fight right away, said Pena. I want to be the main event, five rounds is cool but I’m not going to go five rounds. Now’s the time to show Valentina and the whole country what I can do and then after that it’s time for my title shot.

Images via Bullet Valentina and Julianna Pena.