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Amanda Nunes is back and determined to reclaim her women's bantamweight throne. With UFC 316 just hours away, 'The Lioness' spoke about the fight that awaits her, with the co-main event between Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison set to determine who she will fight.
The two women compete for the women's bantamweight title, which Peña currently holds, and which Nunes once had a stranglehold over. In a recent Q&A ahead of UFC 316, Nunes was asked about her MMA career after two years away from the octagon, and whether she'll fight for an extended amount of time. She said:
"Actually, I'm ready to stay here. So, maybe I can take the belt back. I'm going to defend as long as possible. As long as my body can handle [it], I'm gonna be here."
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Check out Amanda Nunes' comments below:
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Nunes' willingness to fight for much longer is a positive sign for the UFC. Returning legends usually fight once for a title and, if successful, defend it once or retire once again. Nunes, though, is committed to fighting again, which will help reinvigorate an otherwise stale women's bantamweight division.
Besides Peña and Harrison, few female 135-pounders draw any substantial fan interest. Many lack either the personality or exciting fighting style to generate hype. The reintroduction of Nunes to the weight class is one that the UFC is likely eager for, as she is among the greatest finishers in WMMA history.
There's also the added wrinkle of whether Nunes' time away has affected her in any negative way, as cage rust is an often-referenced topic when legends return after years away.
Amanda Nunes is the greatest WMMA fighter of all time
There are only two other women who come close to Amanda Nunes' legacy in women's MMA: Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg. Unfortunately for them, 'The Lioness' has beaten both of them, and decisively as well. She took on Rousey at UFC 207 and needed just 47 seconds to TKO her.
Check out Amanda Nunes TKO'ing Ronda Rousey below:
However, her win over Cyborg was arguably even more impressive, as she completely shattered her foe's aura of invincibility, dropping her several times before knocking her out cold within 51 seconds at UFC 232 to become the first and still only women's two-division UFC champion in history.
