"It would make her the first-ever two-time champ-champ" - Chael Sonnen details great opportunity for Amanda Nunes
Chael Sonnen recently discussed the unique opportunity that Amanda Nunes has by beating Julianna Pena in the rematch at UFC 277. Nunes would win the title back and become the only two-time two-division champion.
Nunes became the third UFC two-division champion in 2018 when she knocked out Cris Cyborg in the first round. To this day, there are only three other fighters who have achieved "champ-champ" status, namely Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo, and Conor McGregor. 'The Lioness' solidified her legacy by becoming the first and only woman to earn this achievement.
Amanda Nunes just KO'd Cris Cyborg cold. Wow. RD 1. #UFC232 https://t.co/UwegIZ8u08
On July 30, Nunes will get a chance to become the first fighter to become a two-division champion for a second time. During a segment on his YouTube show, Chael Sonnen brought up the importance of this accomplishment by saying:
"We've seen some champ-champs. We've not seen champ-champ again... Amanda is now in a spot to be champ-champ again. It would make her the first-ever two-time champ-champ."
Although being a two-time champion is probably not the priority, it's still an intriguing accomplishment. Nunes will probably go down as the best women's fighter of all time, and getting revenge over Pena will make that discussion easier. With that said, 'The Lioness' needs to make some a few adjustments to pull off the win.
Watch Chael Sonnen discuss Amanda Nunes below:
Chael Sonnen thinks Amanda Nunes underestimated Julianna Pena
Pena was a 7-1 underdog going into the first fight against Nunes. Everyone was underestimating her, potentially including the Brazilian. 'The Lioness' landed some solid punches early on, but the challenger continued to come forward. The constant pressure led to a shocking submission in round two.
During the same YouTube segment, Sonnen broke down what he thought led to Nunes' loss by saying:
"If you ever find yourself in a fight that's harder than you thought it was going to be, nothing will unravel an athlete quicker than that mentally...That's what happens. That's all that happened there."
Whether or not Nunes underestimated Pena is secondary at this point. 'The Lioness' has switched camps and has plans to put everything into this fight camp. At UFC 277, the Brazilian has the opportunity to avenge her loss and become the only two-time champ-champ.
Will it be repeat or revenge?
Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes will run it back for UFC gold this summer. 🏆
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