"This will not happen again" - Hurting Irene Aldana vows to return strong after lackluster UFC 289 performance
In her attempt to make history by defeating Amanda Nunes and capturing the UFC women's bantamweight title, Irene Aldana just couldn't really get started and fell short of her goal. Understandably, the brawler is frustrated and has taken to social media to share her thoughts with her loyal fans.
The Mexico native won four of her last five fights before earning herself a shot at UFC gold, beating some tough competition in the process. Despite coming up short on Saturday, she remains a problem for those in her division and, as proven in numerous fights throughout her career, has serious finishing ability.
In a heartfelt post on social media, Irene Aldana vowed to return stronger after her less-than-impressive showing at UFC 289 but also took the time to praise her opponent Amanda Nunes.
"It was an honor to face Amanda Nunes. Incredible athlete and fighter. I'm sorry to have failed my coaches and all of you, I assure you that this does not stay like this. It was a bad night. But the goal is still clear and the objective is still that 4th belt... I have already identified this blockage, I know what I have to do and this will NOT happen again... For now, I am going to return to the gym as soon as possible and work very hard to earn that second chance."
Facing an athlete as great as Amanda Nunes has been a challenge for the majority of opponents. The South American has lost just once inside the octagon—though she later avenged that loss against Julianna Pena—since 2014.
Aldana has been in the UFC for eight years and is now seemingly just hitting her best years inside the cage. Although the road may be long, the 35-year-old possesses all the skills to return to title contention.
What happened during the Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana matchup?
From start to finish, the fight was controlled by the champion Amanda Nunes, which was dominated even more the further the fight played out.
'The Lioness' used her well-timed striking and grappling prowess to overwhelm her opponent on the way to a unanimous decision victory. Each of the three judges gave 10-8 scores for the final round in the Brazilian's favor as she managed to cruise to winning each round of their fight.
The huge talking point came after the decision was announced, when Amanda Nunes revealed that the clash against Irene Aldana was her last and she would retire, vacating her two titles.