The now officially announced UFC 289 in Vancouver, B.C. on June 10 has its main event.
Amanda Nunes (22-5) will defend her women’s bantamweight title against Julianna Pena (11-5), closing out the trilogy between the pair.
UFC President Dana White confirmed the news to TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter on Friday, following an initial report by Ariel Helwani.
The announcement came somewhat out of left field, with many expecting a new name, such as Irene Aldana, to be next up for Nunes’ 135lb title.
Nunes and Pena have fought twice before, with Pena pulling off the Upset of the Year in 2021 when she submitted “The Lioness” in the second round of their UFC 269 match-up. Last July, however, Nunes got her revenge, winning a dominant unanimous decision to reclaim her title and double-champ status (the Brazilian also holds the rarely-seen UFC women’s featherweight championship).
The fight will mark another rare occasion for the UFC, with the trilogy playing out back-to-back-to-back, with no fights in between.
Nunes has long been considered the greatest female fighter on the roster, with a 12-fight win streak prior to falling to Pena in their first fight. She holds notable wins over Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm, Germaine de Randamie, and Valentina Shevchenko, every one a UFC champion.
Julianna Pena won The Ultimate Fighter at bantamweight during season 18 of the reality fighting series.
UFC 289 takes place at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C., Canada on June 10, 2023. In addition to Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena, the following fights have been announced for the card.
- Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Julianna Pena — for the UFC women’s bantamweight championship
- Stephen Thompson vs. Michel Pereira
- Miranda Maverick vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
- Eryk Anders vs. Marc-André Barriault
- Diana Belbiţă vs. Maria Oliveira
- Blake Bilder vs. Kyle Nelson
- Matt Schnell vs. David Dvořák
- Dan Ige vs. Nate Landwehr
