"You really can’t take anything away from Amanda" - Holly Holm on potentially welcoming Amanda Nunes back from retirement
Former UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm has given her two cents on Amanda Nunes making a potential return to the sport in the future.
Holm is set to return to the octagon against Kayla Harrison in a bout that will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada on April 13, 2024. The 42-year-old has fought practically every well-known fighter in her weight class, and there is one legend she is willing to face again.
While speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Holm was questioned about a hypothetical Nunes comeback and whether she'd like a potential rematch of their bantamweight title fight at UFC 239. She replied:
''I didn’t think anything and then it was like, ‘Did you see something about Nunes maybe coming back?’ I thought about it too, but I don’t know. I do think that she’s enjoying time off. She was pretty active, being a double champion and all that. I have all the respect for her in this sport. Another fighter that’s fought the top girls. You really can’t take anything away from Amanda.''
Catch Holly Holm's comments below (23.31):
Former two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes was recently present at UFC 297 in Toronto on January 20. She hinted last month that she still carries the spirit of a champion and hasn't ruled out a comeback after retiring and vacating her two UFC belts in June 2023.
Holm and Nunes faced each other in the co-main event of the UFC 239 pay-per-view in a fight that 'The Lioness' won in the first round.
Holly Holm hopes to secure a title shot with a win over Kayla Harrison at UFC 300
Holly Holm last competed for a UFC title at UFC 239 in 2019, losing to Amanda Nunes by a first-round TKO. The American stunned everyone in 2015 by stopping Ronda Rousey in the second round of UFC 193, which was her first and only title victory.
The No. 5-ranked women's bantamweight has stated that she hopes to earn another championship shot if she defeats Kayla Harrison at UFC 300. Addressing a title opportunity, Holms had this to say in the same interview:
''I hope so. I mean, winning a fight big like that. I've fought for the belt more than once so a lot of people think about what the anticipation is. They want to see other people fight for the belt, but you also have to put people in line that deserve to be there and there's a reason why I have been up there because I'm currently, and stayed, ranked in the top-five for a really long time so my goal is always to get to the belt."
Check out Holly Holm's comments below: