While Amanda
Nunes is definitely enjoying her retirement, a return to the
Octagon isn’t totally out of the realm of possibility.
Advertisement
The former women’s two-division champion announced her retirement
this past June following a victory over Irene
Aldana at UFC 289, vacating both of her belts in the
process.
Nunes was in attendance at UFC 297
on Saturday as Raquel
Pennington earned a decision victory against Mayra
Bueno Silva to win the vacant bantamweight strap. While “The
Lioness” didn’t feel bad watching a new champ getting crowned, it
was certainly a mixture of emotions.
“I was nervous [watching the title fight],” she said on the UFC 297
post-fight show on ESPN+. “I don’t know why, but I was very
nervous. It was mixed feelings. I was happy and sad. When I saw
‘Rocky’ with the belt, I was OK. I wasn’t upset or anything like
that.
“I think I did the right decision retiring, resting a little bit.
Taking care of the babies. Can’t leave Nina [Nunes] with two babies
by herself. So I’ve been enjoying it, too. My whole life was
fighting related, so I was not really able to enjoy my 20s. My 20s
passed like that. I’m 35 now, and now I’m able to go back to
Brazil, stay a little bit with my friends and family, and enjoy and
see what happens.”
Having started her MMA career back in 2008, Nunes has spent most of
her youth in the constant grind that comes with being a
professional athlete. With that being said, she isn’t completely
ruling out the possibility of a return.
“I don’t know — we never know. I’m a fighter and this is my job,”
she said. “I love this so much, and I don’t know. I enjoy as well
not being in the gym everyday and having a normal life, stay home a
little bit and be lazy. I [can’t be] lazy as a fighter, it’s very
hard.”
“But I’m still healthy and powerful, smart, think like a champion.
I still feel like a champion, so we’ll see.”