MIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 12: Amanda Nunes is congratulated by UFC President and CEO Dana White after … More
Former two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes last fought for the promotion in June 2023, defeating Irene Aldana in defense of her UFC women’s bantamweight title. During UFC 314 fight week, the retired Brazilian was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. She also motioned that a return to UFC action is not out of the question.
If Nunes is not the best woman to compete in MMA, she is at least in the conversation. Nunes debuted with the UFC in 2013 with a 7-3 record. She opened her career with the promotion with two first-round knockout wins. However, in her third outing under the UFC banner, Nunes fell to Cat Zingano, losing that fight by TKO in the third round.
Nunes would not lose again until December 2021.
During her 12-fight winning streak, Nunes won the bantamweight title and defended it five times, beating notable names Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, and Holly Holm by first-round stoppage. Nunes also captured the featherweight belt during that title run, defending it twice. Nunes took ownership of the 145-pound crown with a first-round knockout of Cris Cyborg, who had not tasted defeat in over 13 years.
In a flat and somewhat confusing performance, Nunes lost her 135-pound crown in December 2021, falling to Julianna Pena by second-round submission. In July 2022, Nunes regained the bantamweight belt with a decision win over Pena. She defended the crown against Aldana, who replaced the injured Pena in what was to be a trilogy bout. Nunes then retired from active competition as the bantamweight and featherweight champ.
“Double champion forever,” Nunes said after the win. “This is the perfect night to retire.”
During the UFC 314 broadcast, the UFC announced Nunes as a member of the class of 2025 for the UFC Hall of Fame. The former two-division champ will go into the Hall as a member of the “Modern Wing.”
One of the titles that Nunes retired with, the bantamweight belt, is on the line in the co-main event of UFC 316 when current champ Pena, who won the belt from Raquel Pennington via split decision in October 2024, faces former two-time PFL lightweight tournament winner Kayla Harrison in the co-main event.
During the recent press conference for that fight card, which takes place on Saturday, June 7 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, UFC CEO Dana White was asked if he thought that the 36-year-old Nunes would fight again.
White repeated the question and then said, “She just said yes,” pointing to a smiling Nunes who was in attendance for the event. Then, with the camera lingering on Nunes, the former champion vigorously nodded her head in agreement.
As for Pena and Harrison, they both seemed interested in bringing the ex-champ out of retirement.
“I knew she was retiring too early,” Pena said.
“She’s not done,” Pena added. “She’s just sitting on the sidelines to see what happens because she doesn’t want to fight that trilogy fight I was asking for…”
“Absolutely,” Harrison said of the potential matchup.
“I think Amanda and I know that’s what’s gonna happen.”
As for White, in October he said he thought Nunes might be back.
“She looks good,” White said. “She looks great. It looks like she’s still in shape. You know where her head is at and I love that about her. There are a lot of things I love about her – and I love that about her. She’s keeping an eye on who wins the title next and I think she’s teasing that she might be interested in coming back.”
