Julianna Peña has an important piece of advice for female fighters: avoid using cosmetics in the cage.
During UFC Denver, a viral moment occurred in the main event between flyweights Rose Namajunas and Tracy Cortez when a punch from Namajunas knocked off one of Cortez’s fake eyelashes. Namajunas won the fight by unanimous decision, but the incident sparked a lot of buzz on social media.
Peña, a former bantamweight champion with hopes of reclaiming UFC gold, recounted her own painful experience with eyelash extensions and explained why she avoids them on fight night.
“Hair and makeup are my jam,” Peña shared on The MMA Hour. “I love it. But I once got eyelash extensions during training. When one broke off, it stabbed me in the eye, causing the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt. Since then, I only use strip lashes that I can remove easily. I never wear extensions in training or fights for that reason.”
Peña is puzzled by the circumstances leading to Cortez’s eyelash mishap and questioned Cortez’s social media praise for the technician who did the extensions.
“I saw the whole lash go flying,” Peña said. “I think they must have used a strip lash to cover up an issue with the extensions, or the lash tech didn’t do a good job. The whole thing shouldn’t come off like that.”
Peña advised female fighters to avoid eyelash extensions in fights. “Ladies, please don’t fight with eyelash extensions. It’s just a no-no.”
When asked if athletic commissions should regulate cosmetic use to prevent such incidents, Peña disagreed, suggesting common sense should prevail instead.
“I don’t see eyelash extensions being something they inspect,” Peña said. “Imagine them checking if your lashes are real. No mascara, no eyelash extensions. You’re a warrior, a barbarian. This is gladiator times.”
Peña’s candid advice underscores the importance of practicality and safety over aesthetics in the fighting arena.
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