Amanda Nunes has by now grown accustomed to the loneliness of life at the top.
“Lioness” will defend her undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight crown when she faces Irene Aldana in the UFC 289 main event on Saturday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. Nunes has rattled off 13 victories across her past 14 outings. She last competed at UFC 277 in July, when she avenged a prior loss and reclaimed the 135-pound title with a unanimous decision over Julianna Pena. Aldana, meanwhile, enters the Octagon on the heels of a modest two-fight winning streak. She last appeared at UFC 279, where she wrecked Macy Chiasson with an upkick to the body in the third round of their Sept. 10 pairing.
As Nunes and Aldana make final preparations for their forthcoming showdown, a look at some of the numbers that have accompanied them to this point:
35: Years of age for Nunes, who was born on May 30, 1988 in Pojuca, Brazil.
13: Nunes wins by knockout or technical knockout, accounting for 59% of her career total (22). Her list of UFC victims: Holly Holm, Cristiane Justino, Raquel Pennington, Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Germaine de Randamie and Sheila Gaff. Nunes owns four other wins by submission (18%) and five more by decision (23%).
2,296: Days spent by Nunes as UFC women’s bantamweight champion, her stay atop the division spread across two reigns. She has held the title from July 9, 2016 to Dec. 11, 2021 and again from July 30, 2022 to present.
37: Rounds completed by Nunes as a professional mixed martial artist. She has gone the distance on six different occasions and carries a 5-1 record in those bouts.
62: Combined victories between the five opponents—Pena, Cat Zingano, Sarah D’Alelio, Alexis Davis and Ana Maria—who have beaten Nunes. They boast a cumulative .660 winning percentage at 62-32.
35: Years of age for Aldana, who was born in Culiacan, Mexico, on March 26, 1988.
8: Aldana victories by knockout or technical knockout, accounting for 58% of her career total (14). Her list of UFC victims: Chiasson, Yana Santos and Ketlen Vieira. Aldana holds three other victories by submission (21%) and three more by decision (21%).
773: Significant strikes landed by Aldana as a UFC women’s bantamweight, placing her second on the promotion’s all-time list at 135 pounds. Only the aforementioned Pennington has been credited with more (922).
15: Seconds needed for Aldana to put away Sandra del Rincon with knees and punches at a GEX Cage Tournament event on Oct. 17, 2012. More than a decade later, it remains her fastest finish to date.
.711: Cumulative winning percentage between the six opponents—Holm, Pennington, Katlyn Chookagian, Leslie Smith, Tonya Evinger and Larissa Pacheco—who have defeated Aldana. They sport a combined record of 99-40-1.
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