UFC 269 on December 11, 2021, featured Amanda Nunes vs Julianna Peña in the much anticipated Women’s bantamweight title fight. Nunes (21-5 MMA) vs Peña (12-4 MMA) was to end in a submission loss in the second round for Nunes.
After surviving the opening round with ‘The Lioness’, Peña turned up the intensity in the second round. For many it was a shocking defeat for Nunes, some branding it the most shocking loss in UFC history. Nunes’ unprecedented 12-fight, seven-year undefeated streak ended that day.
Now, two+ months after her loss, Nunes is speaking out about what went wrong back in December of 2021.
In speaking during a media scrum (h/t MMA News), she recounted the turning point in her UFC 269 fight with Julianna Pena:
“I got caught in the beginning of the second round. I don’t know if it was a jump-in, overhand, I don’t know what the move was. But for me, it looked like a jump overhand. It got me right here (points to behind left ear),” said Nunes. “It’s like, that was the end. I was not able to recover after that. I told Nina (Nunes) like, I felt dizzy, because I never got caught before. If you’re asking me how getting caught feels, I never would’ve answered because I never got caught before. So when I got caught, I lost everything; I lost my balance, my visual was a little bit blurry, too, and from that moment, everything went downhill.”
Continuing Amanda Nunes said:
“When I got on the floor, I was already done. From watching the fight, and how everything was played in my head after I got caught, yeah. Everybody say I was tired and everything, okay, (they) look at me and say, ‘Your timing was off’ yeah, I didn’t train well for the fight. Of course, you think I showed up 100%? But I did get caught. She really connected a good one and I wasn’t able to recover.”
A Nunes vs Peña 2 will happen later this year after the conclusion of TUF 30.
Are you excited to see Nunes and Pena battle in the Octagon again? Who do you think will emerge victorious in round 2? Share your thoughts in the comment section PENN Nation!