"The fact that she lost definitely ignited that fire" - Coach Roger Krahl, who trained Amanda Nunes to fight Ronda Rousey, is confident 'The Lioness' is "coming to hunt" at UFC 277
Amanda Nunes may very well be the greatest female fighter to ever enter the octagon. She is the only female fighter ever to earn double-champ status, as she simultaneously held the women's bantamweight and featherweight title for almost three years between 2018-2021.
Nunes seemed almost untouchable going into her UFC 269 matchup with Julianna Pena, as she hadn't lost in over seven years. Following a shocking loss to Pena, Nunes made the decision to part ways with the American Top Team, opting to start her own gym. One of the coaches that Nunes brought in was her former coach at American Top Team, Roger Krahl.
Entering UFC 277, Krahl said that Nunes, coming off a loss, will be very motivated. He opined in episode 3 of the UFC 277 Embedded: Vlog Series:
"Definitely hungry, Amanda is hungry. Seen many champions that have, you know, won the belt, and kind of got burnt out on it. Not to say that she was burnt out for that many years being on top and untouchable, but, you know, the fact that she lost definitely ignited that fire again, and she is a hungry lioness coming to hunt on Saturday."
Nunes herself seemed to reiterate these claims on the media day leading up to UFC 277, claiming that the loss gave her a renewed passion for the sport.
Amanda Nunes says Julianna Peña loss reignited passion for fighting: 'I was without a challenge for so long' #UFC277 mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2022/07/ufc-27…
Watch Roger Krahl's comments on UFC 277 Embedded Episode 3 at 1:05 of the video below:
Will Amanda Nunes reclaim the women's bantamweight belt?
Regardless of what happens at UFC 277, Amanda Nunes will unarguably go down as one of the greatest female fighters ever. She has the longest reign as champion in two of the four women's weight classes and has almost cleaned out those divisions.
But Nunes fully expects to snatch the women's bantamweight belt back from Pena, and ultimately get back to defending both belts.
Amanda Nunes expects to be back on a champ-champ title defense schedule after #UFC277. 🏆🏆
Full interview: bit.ly/3SapkCD https://t.co/YQX0Y7rlL5
Despite being submitted via a rear-naked choke at UFC 269, Nunes is a heavy favorite, with many underplaying Julianna's win and calling it a "fluke." The criticism of Pena seemed unfair as she was not only able to take the bombs that had toppled many, but replied in kind and wore down Amanda's resistance.
But Nunes' resume and dominance in the sport make it easy to understand why she would be a favorite.
UFC President Dana White believes that both women have knockout power, and that whatever version of Nunes shows up will determine the fight. Nunes clearly wasn't at her best in their first matchup. With a newfound passion following the loss, it is unlikely that we will see anything but Amanda Nunes at the peak of her prowess.