"I wonder what Amanda Nunes will do differently this quickly against Julianna Pena" - Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier believes Amanda Nunes will be a big favorite heading into her rematch against Julianna Pena.
Pena dethroned 'The Lioness' at UFC 269 to win the women's bantamweight championship in one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. The two stars will serve as opposing coaches on season 30 of The Ultimate Fighter prior to their heavily-anticipated rematch.
During the latest episode of the DC & RC show, Cormier said he was unsure what Nunes would do differently in her rematch against Pena. He opined that leaving American Top Team (ATT) and starting her own team could rejuvenate the Brazilian. 'DC' said:
"If anyone's earned an immediate rematch it's Amanda Nunes, obviously... I just wonder what she's going to do different this quickly against Julianna Pena because she's now left American Top Team and she's started her own team."
The former two-division UFC champion added:
"We don't know the issues that led to that move so maybe we'll have a new, refreshed Nunes in the rematch. I'll tell you this much, though. Nunes will still go into this fight a massive favorite and more people will feel confident going into that rematch than they did in fight number one."
Watch Daniel Cormier discuss the Julianna Pena vs. Amanda Nunes rematch in the video below:
Julianna Pena shares her thoughts on why Amanda Nunes might have left ATT
ATT is one of the pre-eminent teams in MMA and is home to some of the best fighters on the planet. However, Julianna Pena believes that several ATT fighters have awkward relationships with each other, making for a less-than-pleasant atmosphere.
During a recent media scrum, Pena cited the rivalry between former friends Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington as an example. She also spoke about ATT fighter Kayla Harrison's desire to take on 'The Lioness', saying:
"I don't know exactly what happened but I feel like that's definitely some part of why she feels like she needs to leave, especially with, you know, them saying, 'You know Kayla Harrison's the team captain, how do you feel about that? Now Kayla Harrison was my training partner but now Kayla Harrison wants to fight me for a mega million-dollar fight.' Who's really your friend here? You can't trust anyone in that gym."
Watch Julianna Pena's recent appearance at a media scrum below:
The rematch between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena will be one of the most heavily-anticipated fights of 2022. While there's no doubt about Nunes' standing as one of the greats in women's MMA, she may be in for the stiffest test of her career when she attempts to reclaim the women's bantamweight crown.