5 reasons why Amanda Nunes should retire if she beats Julianna Pena at UFC 269
UFC 269 goes down in a matter of weeks. In the co-headliner, Amanda Nunes is set to defend her UFC bantamweight title against Julianna Pena.
Amanda Nunes will be well expected to defeat Julianna Pena at UFC 269, but if she does so, should the 'Lioness’ continue fighting or step away from the octagon?
The UFC BW title is back on the books for December 🗓
👊 @Amanda_Leoa and @VenezuelanVixen are set to square off at #UFC269. https://t.co/ANSTPeqyYX
There are arguments to support either side of this argument, but if Amanda Nunes does win, then perhaps it’d be better for her to hang up her gloves.
With that in mind, here are five reasons why Amanda Nunes should retire if she defeats Julianna Pena at UFC 269.
#5. Julianna Pena might be the only viable and marketable opponent left for Amanda Nunes
Amanda Nunes has now been the UFC bantamweight champion since July 2016 and she’s also held the UFC featherweight title since December 2018.
During her two title reigns, she’s made a total of seven successful defenses, turning back challenges from top fighters such as Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm and Raquel Pennington. She’s finished the majority of them, too. Essentially, the 'Lioness’ has been so dominant that if she gets past Julianna Pena, there’s basically nobody left for her to fight in either division.
The featherweight class is essentially dead anyway, with Amanda Nunes and her title reign being the only thing really keeping it alive. Bantamweight, meanwhile, does have a couple of other fighters that Nunes hasn’t fought yet, names like Aspen Ladd and Irene Aldana. However, none of them would really provide a genuinely intriguing opponent for the Brazilian.
R E L E N T L E S S 😤
🇲🇽 @IreneAldana_ gets the TKO in RD 1. #UFC264 https://t.co/bFKv1vrMOA
Sure, Nunes could stick around and beat up those kind of fighters, but what would honestly be the point? For a fighter as good as her, it’d essentially be like going through the motions.
Therefore, with no really viable opponents remaining for her, if she does defeat Julianna Pena, it’s probably time for Amanda Nunes to ride into the sunset without suffering a loss, making her an instant UFC Hall of Famer.