With a belt on either shoulder, UFC double champ Amanda Nunes is on top of the world. But despite her next fight coming at bantamweight against Holly Holm at UFC 239, the question of her future at 145lbs remains.
Los Angeles, CA — Amanda Nunes is the first woman in the UFC to hold two titles, and at UFC 239 on July 6, she’ll put one of those on the line. That would be the women’s bantamweight championship, which she’ll defend against former 135lb champ Holly Holm. The fight is one of the biggest left for Nunes, who has defeated a who’s who of fighters in the UFC, including Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, and Valentina Shevchenko.
Of course, there’s another fight on the horizon, a possible rematch with Cris Cyborg, the megastar Nunes knocked out to capture the women’s featherweight belt. Speaking to Cageside Press on Monday in Los Angeles, Nunes (17–4) reflected on that feat, and what’s to come.
Asked how she tops that moment, the double champ acknowledged that it was a “great fight, you know. I’m very happy for that. It was a huge accomplishment for my career, and I’m very happy.”
Despite the massive accomplishment, what keeps her going is simply doing her job. “This is what I do, to live, you know. I have to keep motivated, I have to keep proving I’m the best,” she told us. “Keep proving I’m better than all those girls in my division. And keep training.”
That’s something she enjoys greatly. “I love training. I love to feel those moments, [leading] up to the fight. Walking into the cage, the adrenaline, everything, my body needs that. This is making me focus, and making me do this forever.”
Forever may or may not include 145lbs, however. While she holds the featherweight title, asked if she’d return to the weight class whether or not Cyborg remains with the promotion, Nunes was coy. Cyborg, of course, has a fight against Felicia Spencer at UFC 240 in Edmonton, just weeks after Nunes faces Holm.
It’s notably the last fight on Cris Cyborg’s current UFC deal.
“The rematch has to be against Cyborg,” Nunes answered when asked about sticking around featherweight, one way or the other. “We will see. We will see what is going to happen.”
Pressed on what might happen if Cyborg leaves, the champ said that she’s “focused on Holly right now. I’m 100% [focused] on Holly Holm. We’ll see. We can talk about the next step later.”
Holm, of course, if a formidable fighter who was the first to dethrone Ronda Rousey. On how Nunes intends to defeat the former boxing champ, the Brazilian suggested the key is to “be calm. Wait for her mistakes. And be fast, be sharp.” We’ll know if that pays off soon.
UFC 239 takes place July 6 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
