“I didn’t want to finish” Amanda Nunes revealed she wanted to fight all 5 rounds against Julianna Pena to prove herself as the greatest
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Nunes believes she could have finished Pena at multiple points but preferred not to
One cannot being to imagine what Amanda Nunes might have felt like at UFC 269, as Julianna Pena started picking up the pace with strikes that ultimately led to the submission finish. That night Amanda’s 8-year unbeaten streak was taken away from her due to objectively sloppy strikes that just kept hitting the mark. Which explains a lot about here showing at UFC 277.
Nunes and Pena were scheduled to headline the UFC 277 PPV, in one of the most iconic rematches in WMMA history. From the get-go, Nunes seemed laser-focused in her attempt to regain her title. While the initial rounds were standard Nunes fights with heavy strikes and knockdowns. However as the fight progressed, Pena started seeming more and more like a fighter that couldn’t be put away.
By the end of the 25-minute mark, Pena was unrecognizable due to the blood covering her face while Amanda has safely regained her double champion status, in the process becoming the first ever athlete to accomplish this feat in the UFC. While many thought Amanda was simply being gun-shy due to her previous bout against Pena, during an interview with Megan Olivi, she revealed that it was her plan all along.
Amanda Nunes believes she’s superior to Julianna Pena in every aspect of fighting
The 5 round fight between Pena and Nunes, saw the Brazillian reassert her claim to the throne of being the greatest female fighter in MMA. Apart from a few submission attempts by Pena, there were legitimately no spots or flaws in her performance. In fact, many felt that Nunes could have finished the fight right after the first knockdown itself but did not choose to do so.
“I could’ve finished her, but I wanted to go five rounds with her,’ said the Champion when asked by Olivi about how the 5 rounds felt to her. “I didn’t wanna finish Julianna tonight, I wanted to show her that I am better than her, I wanted to show the world the kind of fighter I am,” said Nunes as she expressed her belief that with preparation, she could go 5 rounds against anybody.
“This is not a question anymore, let’s just accept it that I am the GOAT, I don’t make it up, I show it,” said Nunes as she looked to reassert her claim to be the greatest female fighter. She continued, “I felt like I needed more respect after everything I’ve done in this sport, I helped women’s MMA grow, I felt like now is the time where all questions about my abilities should be over”
“Nobody’s gonna question my cardio, or anything of that sort, cause I proved that I could go 6 rounds tonight,” said Nunes as she expressed that her skills overshadow that of Julianna’s in every aspect of fighting. “I had many opportunities to finish her on the floor but I said to myslef, ‘You know what I’m gonna prove to her that I can dominate her right here tonight”
While Nunes will definitely take some time off after a turbulent few months, she has already expressed her interest in completing her trilogy against Valentina Shevchenko. Who do you feel would be the ideal opponent for Nunes when she returns?
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Jerin Mathew
(713 Articles Published)