Amanda Nunes says she will be fighting Julianna Pena next time out.
In the co-main event of UFC 269, Nunes was fighting at bantamweight for the first time in two years as she was set to defend her belt against Pena. In the lead-up to the fight, not many fans were giving Pena much of a chance but in the end, it was the challenger pulling off a massive upset by submitting Nunes in the second to become the new champ.
After the fight, everyone assumed an immediate rematch would be next due to Nunes’ legacy and reign as the champion. UFC president, Dana White even said a rematch makes a lot of sense.
“It’s a big rematch if [Nunes] wants it,” White said at the UFC 269 post-fight press conference.
Now, to no surprise, Amanda Nunes took to social media to announce she will accept a rematch against Julianna Pena. However, she does want some time off so she can get her s**t together and come back stronger.
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“You guys think I’m going to go out unbalanced. I undoubtedly accept the rematch. Give me a little time to get my shit together and I will be back better than ever,” Nunes wrote on Instagram.
Before the loss to Pena, Nunes was riding a 12-fight winning streak including 9-0 in title fights in that time, including winning and defending both the bantamweight and featherweight title. She has also beaten the who’s who of women’s MMA during that time as she beat Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm, Miesha Tate, Valentina Shevchenko, and Germaine de Randamie among others. However, if she loses the rematch to Pena it’s uncertain what would be next for her, but perhaps she moves up to featherweight full-time.
Who do you think will win the rematch between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena?