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Amanda Nunes didn't surprise too many in the MMA fandom with her retirement at UFC 289. Talks of the legendary Brazilian walking away from the sport have been common since 'The Lioness' defeated Felicia Spencer back in 2020 and seemed receptive to the idea of a future away from mixed martial arts.
Her statements caused UFC president Dana White to vehemently express his disapproval of a possible retirement during an appearance on The Schmozone Podcast. However, three years later, Amanda Nunes retired from MMA after defeating Irene Aldana via dominant unanimous decision at UFC 289.
With her retirement, 'The Lioness' walked away from the sport as the greatest female fighter of all time and a two-division champion in the UFC women's bantamweight and featherweight divisions. In doing so, Nunes is also leaving behind several prominent matchups.
This list covers four bouts that 'The Lioness' is walking away from with her retirement.
#4. Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko III
Prior to the rise of Julianna Peña, Valentina Shevchenko was Amanda Nunes' chief rival. During the peaks of their respective championship reigns at women's flyweight and women's bantamweight, the two women were widely regarded as the two most dominant WMMA fighters in the world.
The pair have had two prior clashes, with 'The Lioness' emerging victorious. While their first fight was a more dominant affair in the Brazilian's favor, their second bout was far more competitive, with some even believing that 'Bullet' did enough to win. Unfortunately, she was still declared the official loser of the bout.
After Shevchenko's departure from the 135-pound, she became the women's flyweight queen. She embarked on a long stretch of dominance, similar to Nunes' dominance at 135 pounds. While a third bout between the two was talked about after both women had a scarcity of competition, it never came to be.
With Nunes' retirement, the potential for a third bout is all but dead. While 'Bullet' recently suffered an upset loss to Alexa Grasso, she will attempt to reclaim her divisional crown, which ideally would have been followed up with a matchup with Nunes if she succeeds.
#3. Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison
One of the most talked-about matchups prior to Amanda Nunes' retirement, and especially before her loss to Julianna Peña, was a possible clash with two-time Olympic gold medalist and PFL women's lightweight champion Kayla Harrison, who expressed interest in it. Unfortunately, the bout had several roadblocks.
First, the highly accomplished judoka fights under the PFL banner, which is a barrier given the UFC's lack of interest in co-promotion with other MMA organizations. However, there was a possibility that Harrison would have signed with the UFC for a one-off deal, even after her loss to Larissa Pacheco.
All the Olympic judoka had to do was keep winning, which would have made her likely a foe in the future given the general scarcity of fresh, interesting faces for Nunes to battle prior to her retirement. However, after she walked away from the sport of mixed martial arts, the matchup is no more.
#2. Amanda Nunes vs. Claressa Shields
The history between Amanda Nunes and Claressa Shields dates back to the Brazilian's matchup against fellow countrywoman and legendary female fighter Cris Cyborg. The boxing GWOAT was critical of Cyborg after her historic clash with 'The Lioness'.
After Nunes' conquest of Cyborg, there was little in the way of compelling challenges for her in any division. Claressa Shields, who parallels Amanda Nunes as the greatest women's fighter in her respective combat sport, expressed a desire to reclaim the Brazilian's spot as the best female fighter in MMA.
But to dethrone Nunes, Shields would have to migrate to the world of mixed martial arts. In 2021, she did just that by signing with the PFL, amassing a record of one win and one loss. However, she had ample time to gain the experience necessary to face 'The Lioness'.
While it was one of the most hyped matchups that could have been booked for Nunes, it seems it will never take place now that the Brazilian is no longer a combat sports athlete.
#1. Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Peña III
Middleweight great Anderson Silva had Chael Sonnen. MMA GOAT-claimant Jon Jones had Daniel Cormier. Undefeated lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov had Conor McGregor. Mixed martial arts' greatest female fighter had Julianna Peña. No one will ever forget what is the biggest upset of Amanda Nunes' career.
'The Lioness' was at the helm of a 12-fight win streak, including a stretch of 9 consecutive UFC title wins. 'The Venezuelan Vixen' was regarded as yet another victim scheduled to join the likes of Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, and Cris Cyborg as Amanda Nunes' latest conquest.
Instead, Peña shocked the world by submitting the all-time great in the second round. Afterward, the pair had an immediate rematch that saw Nunes emerge victorious. While they were subsequently for a consecutive third clash, Julianna Peña withdrew from the bout due to injury and Irene Aldana replaced her.
After Nunes defeated the Mexican, the general expectation was that the originally scheduled trilogy bout with Peña would come next. Instead, 'The Lioness' nixed the idea by announcing her retirement in her post-fight interview.
