With accomplishments that separate her from virtually everyone else
in women’s mixed martial arts, Amanda
Nunes has earned the right to an immediate rematch following
her shocking loss to Julianna
Pena at UFC
269.
“It’s a big rematch if she wants it,” UFC president Dana White said
at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.
Pena outdueled the heavy-handed Nunes in a slugfest, and when the
Brazilian fatigued, “The Venezuelan Vixen” took her opponent down
with ease and submitted her with a rear-naked choke at the 3:26
mark of Round 2. It’s an upset that ranks among the greatest in the
history of the sport, one that White compared to Matt Serra’s
victory over Georges St.
Pierre at UFC 69 in 2007.
“Julianna is a person who always believed in herself and that she
could win this fight if she got it. She did it [at UFC 269],” White
said. “It’s one of the things that makes this sport so incredible,
when somebody is that big of an underdog.”
If there was any doubt about Nunes’ motivation to take a second
fight against Pena in hopes of regaining the bantamweight crown,
“Lioness” made her intentions clear with a post on her social media
account Monday.
“You guys think I’m going to go out unbalanced. I undoubtedly
accept the rematch,” Nunes wrote. “Give me a little time to get my
shit together and I will be back better than ever.”
If and when she does square off against Pena again, Nunes will have
to address some questions that haven’t been raised in quite some
time. Prior to Saturday, Nunes was consistently dominant over the
course of a 12-bout winning streak that established her as the
female GOAT in many people’s eyes.
“When they were doing it, I thought Amanda looks like she’s getting
tired,” White said. “They were in the pocket and they were both
throwing. She [Pena] was definiitely landing more, but Julianna’s
face was getting busted up too. Julianna was taking some punches
too.
“But it doesn’t matter how strong you are, how big you are, how
hard you hit — at the end of the day it comes down to who’s in
better shape. And you know Julianna trained her ass off for this
fight. Did Amanda?”