'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
What's the story?
On December 29th, 2018, fight fans around the world were witness to one of the most highly-anticipated women's MMA title fight, in UFC history. In what was a mere 51-second window, current double-division women's UFC champion, Amanda Nunes, knocked arguably the most feared female fighter in the history of the sport, Cris Cyborg out cold. As the world debates the possibility of a rematch between the pair, Nunes is uninterested and feels that Cyborg needs to wait another two years for a potential rematch.
In case you didn't know..
In the world of women's MMA, there are only a handful of fighters who have been feared and respected. One such competitor goes by the name of Cris Cyborg, who amassed a long and undefeated record, spread across 13 long years since her only loss in 2005. This fairytale run in the sport was going to come to a shocking halt when Cyborg was slated to defend her women's featherweight title against the firepower in Amanda Nunes, at the UFC 232 co-main event.
Following her win against Cyborg at UFC 232, Nunes went on to cement her legacy in the sport and redefine the current status of women's mixed martial arts. This win over Cyborg also declared her to be the first ever women's double-division champion, as she now holds both the 135 and 145-pound titles, at the same time.
The heart of the matter
In a recent interview on the UFC Unfiltered podcast with Jim Norton and Matt Serra, Amanda Nunes was seen undermining the performance of her UFC 232 counterpart, Cris Cyborg.
“She didn’t hurt me at all,” Nunes said. “Actually, when she connected the first time I saw that there was no power at all and I put my hands down, [and said] ‘I’m gonna go for it’. I don’t know if you see when I put my head down when she started punching me but I was more scared of the talk that she punches hard than exactly that she punched hard. You hear a lot that ‘She punches hard, she’s strong, she has knockout power!’ but when she landed, I moved my head because I was more scared of being hit than because the punch was strong.”
Nunes also went on to say that Cyborg will have to wait another two years for a rematch with 'The Lioness,' which seemed to be a response to the bickering between the two during their pre-fight presser, leading up to their UFC 232 clash.
“Cyborg doesn’t want to fight me if it takes more than a year to prepare, and right now, I don’t think she’s gonna want it because I’m gonna ask for two years to be ready for her again,” Nunes said. “She said I wanted one year to be ready for her and she didn’t want to wait that much, she don’t wanna stay without fighting but right now I’m asking for two years for the rematch.”
What's next?
Following her championship performance at UFC 232, Nunes has shown interest in defending her 135-pound title next, after her recovery process comes to an end. Who do you think 'The Lioness' should face in the Octagon next?
Leave your thoughts, opinions, and predictions in the comments section below!
