Amanda Nunes takes one last shot at UFC women's bantamweight division before riding into the sunset
Amanda Nunes announced her retirement after successfully defending her title against Mexican contender Irene Aldana at UFC 289. After the fight, Nunes placed both her bantamweight and featherweight belt, alongside her gloves, on the mat and called it a career.
After retiring, Amanda Nunes took to Twitter to take a jab at the rest of the featherweight division. 'The Lioness' tweeted:
"Very cool to see the whole division excited knowing they might have a chance to get the vacant belt."
Check out her tweet here:
Very cool to see the whole division excited knowing they might have a chance to get the vacant belt. 😜
After the UFC 289 main event between Nunes and Aldana, rumors about who will compete for the vacant title have swelled. Reports suggest that Julianna Pena, who was originally slated to face Nunes in a trilogy bout, will be one half of the bout for the vacant title.
Dana White Eyes Julianna Peña for Vacant Bantamweight Title in Post-Nunes UFC Era wmmarankings.com/dana-white-eye…
Who her opponent will be, however, is unclear. Aldana was dominated for five rounds by Nunes, with one judge even giving Nunes a 50-43. With a more lively performance, Aldana could have thrown her name into the hat, but given the outcome of UFC 289, the UFC may decide to look elsewhere.
Fan favorite Holly Holm, who was knocked out by Amanda Nunes, is another name to consider. Raquel Pennington, who weighed in as the backup fighter for UFC 289, may also be in the mix. We may also see contenders move up from the flyweight division, so it's hard to say where the women's bantamweight division is heading for the time being.
Amanda Nunes vacates bantamweight and featherweight divisions, future unclear at both 135 and 145 lbs
Amanda Nunes retired after UFC 289 in what is sure to be an iconic moment in MMA history. Nunes, the consensus GOAT of women's MMA, called it quits, leaving both the 135 lb and 145 lb belts vacant.
Check out Nunes' retirement interview here:
At 135 lbs, the UFC appears to have a number of options, as we listed earlier. At 145 lbs, however, things get a little murky. For one, there is no clear contender, at least according to the rankings. In fact, UFC.com does not have any rankings listed for the women's featherweight division at all and instead just has Amanda Nunes listed as the champion.
As a result, it's hard to predict exactly how the UFC will move forward. Furthermore, the possibility of the division being removed entirely is one to consider as well.