One of the UFC's top female stars was arrested Sunday after allegedly kicking multiple men in the groin in the aftermath of a bar fight, according to an incident report from the Spokane (Wash.) PD.
Julianna Pena, the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 18 in 2013, was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning on two counts of assault. Officers were called to a fight outside a bar in downtown Spokane and arrested Pena, according to public information officer Cpl. Jordan Ferguson of the Spokane PD. Initially it was believed that another person was arrested for involvement in the incident, but public information officer Teresa Fuller said Monday that it was only Pena.
An alleged victim and two witnesses told officers that Pena and Josh Gow, her training partner on the Sikjitsu fight team, attempted to enter Zola's bar after being involved in a street fight. Witnesses said Gow's face was covered in blood from the brawl and the two wanted to use the bathroom to get Gow cleaned up. Bar employees told Pena and Gow that the establishment was closed and they could not come in, which prompted Pena to become "irate," according to one witness.
Witnesses said that Pena kicked a bar employee in the groin and then, while outside the business, kicked the owner in the groin twice. Gow did not get physical with anyone, witnesses said, and was described as being clearly drunk. The two attempted to enter Zola's again, witnesses said, but were locked out. Gow then rubbed his bloody face on the bar's front window, according to witnesses.
Sgt. Eric Kannberg said in his report that he was responding to a "large fight" outside another bar, called Globe, nearby. He then walked to Zola's and came into contact with Pena and Gow outside. Kannberg wrote that they had "obviously been drinking."
Kannberg said Pena told him that they had been involved in a fight with 20 people outside Globe, Gow had suffered a facial injury and she wanted to take him to Zola's to clean up because she knew the owner. Pena said that employees at Zola's didn't let them in because Gow was bleeding, according to Kannberg. Pena indicated that they had then left, Kannberg said. He wrote that he asked Pena if anything happened and she said no.
Pena was arrested at 2:20 a.m. Sunday morning and booked into Spokane County Jail. She was released on $2,000 bail Sunday afternoon at 2:20 p.m. Pena is due in Spokane Municipal Court on Dec. 30 at 1:30 p.m., per a court official.
The names of witnesses and alleged victims were redacted in the report.
The penalty for assault in Spokane, according to the city's municipal code, is a fine that does not exceed $5,000, imprisonment for no longer than one year, or both a fine and imprisonment.
Pena, 26, did not respond to a request for comment Sunday. Sikjitsu coach Rick Little said he didn't know enough about the incident as of Monday night to comment.
UFC vice president of public relations Dave Sholler told MMA Fighting on Sunday that the promotion is "aware of the situation" and "in the process of gathering more info."
Pena, the first female winner of The Ultimate Fighter, has won three UFC fights in a row and etched her name among the elite of the women's bantamweight division. In her last fight, the Spokane native beat Jessica Eye by unanimous decision at UFC 192 in October.
Gow and Pena were tied together in a story two years ago, as well. Pena tore multiple ligaments in her knee in early 2014 after a training accident involving Gow.