MMA fighter Amanda Nunes announces unretirement, aiming for title reclaim.
Get ready to feel the heat again, UFC fans! The legendary Amanda "The Lioness" Nunes is back and she's gunning for the UFC Bantamweight title. Nunes, recently announced UFC Hall-of-Famer, has plans to challenge the victor of the UFC 316 co-main event to reclaim her women's bantamweight title.
In a recent Q&A with ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Nunes expressed her longing to be back in the Octagon: "I missed [fighting] so much," Nunes said. "My baby is big now. She didn't sleep much at night [as a baby] and I was concerned about that because we fighters need sleep. But now, my baby is bigger and I'm ready to go." The queen of the Octagon may face either current champion Julianna Peña or the Olympic gold medalist and former Professional Fighters League champion, Kayla Harrison, after they square off at UFC 316.
Nunes, who retired in June 2023 following a successful title defense against Irene Aldana, left many doubting her decision. UFC CEO, Dana White, even hinted that he felt she walked away prematurely. Known as the best female fighter of all time and one of the greatest regardless of gender, Nunes boasts a record of 23-5. She has also held the UFC's bantamweight and featherweight titles consecutively, marking an unprecedented reign.
Peña captured the title from Nunes via a second-round submission at UFC 269, but Nunes reclaimed it with a unanimous decision victory in their rematch. Peña has aimed to secure a highly-anticipated trilogy fight, even booing Nunes as she stepped away from the sport back in 2023.
Although Peña has a daunting challenge ahead at UFC 316, a title rematch against Nunes may still be in the cards. UFC 316's main card features a thrilling contest between Peña and Harrison for the Bantamweight title. If Harrison emerges victorious, a showdown with the greatest female MMA fighter of all time might just be the next hurdle she will have to overcome.
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From March 2015 through 2023, Nunes dominated the Octagon, going 14-1. Her only loss was against Julianna Peña during her incredible win-streak. The future of women's MMA is certainly thrilling, and with Amanda Nunes making her comeback, it's getting even more exciting!
For those interested, here's the complete UFC 316 card:
Main Card
- Merab Dvalishvili (c) vs. Sean O'Malley - Bantamweight Title
- Julianna Peña (c) vs. Kayla Harrison - Women's Bantamweight Title
- Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer - Middleweight
- Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix - Bantamweight
- Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland - Welterweight
Prelims
- Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van - Flyweight
- Johnny Walker vs. Azamat Murzakanov - Light Heavyweight
- Serghei Spivac vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta - Heavyweight
- Khaos Williams vs. Andreas Gustafsson - Welterweight
- Ariane da Silva vs. Wang Cong - Flyweight
- Jeka Saragih vs. Joo Sang Yoo - Featherweight
- Quillan Salkilld vs. Yanal Ashmouz - Lightweight
- MarQuel Mederos vs. Mark Choinski - Lightweight
In the realm of sports and mixed-martial-arts, Amanda Nunes is once again poised to make history as she sets her sights on reclaiming the UFC Bantamweight title. The UFC 316 card, which includes her potential opponents Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison, could be a pivotal moment in Nunes' career, particularly if Harrison emerges victorious. Fans eagerly await Nunes' return, questioning whether this comeback signals a long-term absence from retirement.
