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Former UFC featherweight champion Cris Cyborg has given her prediction for the blockbuster rematch between Julianna Pena and Amanda Nunes at UFC 277 this weekend.
In a new episode of The Catch-Up with Cris Cyborg and James Lynch, the 37-year old analyzed the rematch, giving Nunes the edge to win the title back, saying:
"I believe in this fight, what's going to come in is better cardio, better strategy. I think you want to hit her a little bit like she's putting on Julianna Pena. You know you're going to continue to box and you're determined to continue there."
She continued, saying:
"I can tell you Julianna has a heart. If you're going to have a hard time in the first round, you'll see she keeps going. It has to be a strategy. Let's see if there's a mixed side."
Pena shocked the world at UFC 269 last December, submitting Nunes in the second round with a rear-naked choke. With the win, Nunes’ 12-fight streak ended while also losing the 135-pound title.
The duo were also pitted against each other on TUF 30 as coaches. After which, they will battle it out again this weekend at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. While Nunes goes into the fight as the betting favorite, Pena will aim to employ the same strategy that won her the bantamweight title last year.
Watch Cris Cyborg predict Amanda Nunes vs Julianna Pena 2 below:
Amanda Nunes reveals she was advised to pull out from first fight against Pena
Amanda Nunes revealed that she was badly injured heading into her sixth title defense, even being advised to pull out of the fight.
In an interview with ESPN MMA, Nunes spoke about the many problems she faced in camp ahead of the fight. She said:
“I didn’t want to let the fight fall through. Nina [Nunes] was always trying to tell me like, ‘Listen, if we have to pull out of this fight to get 100 percent, we can do that.’ But I didn’t want to listen. I let the fight fall through once because I had COVID and I didn’t want to let the fight fall through again."
Amanda Nunes now has the opportunity to redeem herself as the bantamweight champion and will be better prepared this time around against Pena. A victory on Saturday will earn her back the coveted double champ status, while further cementing her legacy as one of the greats in the sport.
Watch Amanda Nunes talk about her rematch at UFC 277 below:
