Amanda Nunes’ loss to Julianna Pena at UFC 269 was one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history, and it took a mental toll on the Brazilian in the immediate aftermath.
In fact, Nunes considered calling it a career following the second-round submission defeat at UFC 269.
“I was very confused. Losing my belt was crazy,” Nunes said in a recent interview with ESPN. “But at the same time, I know I was sad. Something was wrong. Something wasn’t right. And that’s why it looked, like, not real for me. And then when actually I saw [coach Din Thomas], right in the arena outside, and I gave him a hug, I looked at him and I said, ‘I think I’m done.’ And we looked at each other, and he looked [at me]: ‘Are you sure? OK, call me later. Talk to me later.’”
Ultimately, Nunes had a change of heart, which would set the stage for a rematch with Pena in 2022.
“I drove back home, and I was putting my thoughts together. Everything. What I went through, going through that camp, everything that I was upset about. And I was sad too, a couple moments in the camp,” Nunes said.
“When I put everything together and me and [wife Nina Nunes] were talking, I said, ‘I cannot leave my belt with Julianna. It can be [anyone] else but her. I cannot leave my belt with that girl. She’s not deserving of that belt. She didn’t do anything to really deserve to hold that belt.’”
“Lioness” regained the bantamweight crown with a dominant five-round verdict over Pena in the UFC 277 main event last July. A trilogy was slated for the UFC 289 main event before Pena was forced to withdraw due to broken ribs. According to Nunes, Aldana was supposed to be her next title defense all along.
“That actually was the original opponent. Me and the UFC were talking about it, and they wanted Aldana next,” Nunes said. “Everything was lined up to be Aldana. I don’t know if Julianna cried about it and whatever happened and she ended up getting one more opportunity. But now we are here with the original opponent. I was ready for either. My job is to defend the belt.”
UFC 289 takes place on June 10 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, and features the showdown between Nunes and Aldana. In the co-main event, Beneil Dariush will square off against Charles Oliveira in a pivotal lightweight bout.
More must-reads: