The mightier they are, the harder they fall! Amanda Nunes is hailed as the greatest female to ever grace a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) cage. She has victories over the likes of Cris Cyborg, Miesha Tate and agreeably the most influential female fighter Ronda Rousey.
Prior to UFC 269, Amanda Nunes last lost a fight in 2014 when she lost to Cat Zingano. After that, the era of ‘The lioness’ commenced upon the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She went through opponents after opponents and conquered multiple barriers on her way to creating history.
She won the Women’s bantamweight championship at UFC 200 after beating Meisha Tate in 2016. Nunes defended the title in the very next fight against Ronda Rousey. After sending Ronda to retirement, Amanda beat Valentina Shevchenko, Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie. But that incredible run of 7-years came to an in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gracious in defeat, this isn’t the last we will see of @Amanda_Leoa ????#UFC269 pic.twitter.com/NnRf1WC2zu
— UFC (@ufc) December 12, 2021
The UFC 269 card featured fighters such as Dustin Poirier, Sean O’Malley and Charles Oliveira. But the biggest headline maker of the event turned out to be Amanda Nunes. But this time around, the headlines came because of all the wrong reasons. Julianna Peña beat her in a handy manner in the second round of the match via Rear Naked Choke (RNC).
What’s Next for Amanda Nunes
The fight with Peña started in a typical Amanda Nunes style. Her power overwhelmed Julianna and made her buckle quite a few times. But her cockiness is what ultimately turned out to be her downfall. In the second round, Amanda Nunes was hurt. Instead of opting to use her world-class Jiu-jitsu, Nunes kept on fighting in the pocket and eventually got tired and was finished off.
So what’s next for Amanda Nunes? According to Dana White, Nunes has all the money in the world and she’s very happy spending time with her family. But she wants, then the Julianna Peña rematch is there to be granted. So who are her potential opponents?
Julianna Peña is the most likely opponent Amanda Nunes will fight next. In the post-match interview, the 33-year old explained that she did not perform at her best and it was not her night. However, if a second fight is made, Amanda Nunes will be heavily favoured to beat the newly crowned champion.
Kayla Harrison was probably going to be the next opponent for the Brazilian fighter if she didn’t lose against Peña. In the media scrum following the event, Dana White revealed that UFC is currently in contact with Kayla Harrison. Hence it is not completely out of the realm of possibility that Amanda Nunes gets matched up with the most decorated Judoka in USA history.
