With out preventing, Amanda Nunes is misplaced.
Earlier this month, ‘The Lioness’ confirmed that she could be coming again to the struggle recreation later this 12 months to tackle the winner of UFC 316’s co-main occasion conflict between reigning bantamweight queen Julianna Pena and two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison.
Regardless of who comes out on high, Nunes’ return to face the winner will probably produce the largest struggle in ladies’s MMA historical past. However Nunes’ purpose for slicing quick her 2023 retirement has nothing to do with fame, fortune, or settling previous grudges.
“I actually thought I’d be capable of do one thing, however after a 12 months, the whole lot began getting dangerous,” Nunes revealed in an interview on UFC Unfiltered with Jim Norton and Matt Serra. “I began having anxiousness. I all the time had a tough time with the whole lot. My life was with no schedule. I wanted to do one thing, so I began coaching, however for what? I can’t prepare and never have a objective in my life. I nonetheless really feel good, I don’t have any harm.”
Amanda Nunes has historical past with each Kayla Harrison and Julianna Pena
Nunes’ return has undoubtedly added to the hype of Pena vs. Harrison, a struggle between two athletes with whom ‘The Lioness’ has a historical past.
After all, Nunes went toe-to-toe with Pena on two separate events contained in the Octagon. Their first assembly at UFC 269 produced maybe the largest upset in promotional historical past after ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ submitted Nunes within the second spherical of their bantamweight title tilt.
Nunes finally took the title again from Pena in a dominant vogue seven months later, prompting Pena to foyer exhausting for a trilogy struggle with the Brazilian. At one level, the struggle was booked, however Pena was compelled to bow out on account of an harm.
As a substitute, Nunes went on to pummel Irena Aldana for 5 rounds earlier than laying down her bantamweight and featherweight titles and saying her retirement from the game.
As for Harrison, Nunes and the two-time Olympic gold medalist beforehand educated collectively at American Prime Crew, however ‘The Lioness’ opted to depart the fitness center after it grew to become clear that she and Harrison had been on a collision course, although Harrison was nonetheless below contract with the PFL on the time.
“I don’t wish to stroll within the fitness center and have a lady there that’s coaching with my coach… in my fitness center and, like, attacking me on a regular basis on social media,” Nunes stated in a 2022 interview with Daniel Cormier. “And once we stroll within the fitness center and prepare, we’re greatest associates. It’s like, that’s not gonna work man. If you wish to struggle me, you’re going to struggle me.”
If Harrison manages to take Pena’s title on June 7, as oddsmakers predict she is going to, it should set the stage for one of the vital anticipated fights in combined martial arts historical past, no matter gender.
