UFC 277 was punctuated by a exceptional efficiency from Amanda Nunes in the primary occasion. Contemporary off a stunning upset loss to Julianna Peña again in December of final 12 months, doubt was thick within the air that the Brazilian nonetheless had the starvation to seek out her place because the queen of the bantamweight division.
“Amanda is a multi-millionaire who’s now at a very completely different monetary standing,” UFC president Dana White mentioned of Nunes’ drive within the lead as much as the bout. “She has a child now. Her life—she will not be that hungry savage she was when she began to take this run at changing into a world champion. Numerous that components in.”
If that was the worry coming into this battle, nevertheless, Nunes re-wrote the narrative on Saturday, placing a 5 spherical beating on Julianna Peña to regain her ‘champ champ’ standing. Within the wake of her victory, a fellow former two-division title holder gave his ideas on the ‘Lioness’, and the similarities between her bouts with Peña and his personal battles towards Nate Diaz.
“It’s exceptional to me, the similarity of final night time’s girls bantamweight title battle rematch, to mine and Diaz—the McGregor Diaz fights,” Conor McGregor defined in a sequence of recorded messages posted to his Twitter account. “Combat primary: the extremely touted—the GOAT of the game—me/Amanda Nunes; sheer toughness, willingness to battle, and caught off-guard. Eats a few pictures, offers a few pictures, then eats a few pictures, then the tide turns—then will get choked.
“Now the return, the rematch; now confidence on the opposite facet. Tenacity, toughness, all that also there. Extra targeted work on the Nunes facet/my facet. The explanation I’m even saying this, initially, is I’m a fan of each ladies. I’m an enormous fan of each these ladies—Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena—and everybody who steps inside that fucking Octagon, to be sincere, and makes the stroll. And on the finish of the unique bout, ‘I’m not shocked, motherfuckers!’ After which, once more, ‘I’m not shocked, motherfuckers!’ Julianna says it. And maaaan, the battle goes the very same approach within the second battle; dropped a number of occasions, simply higher ready. Cracks the pictures, will get the drop a number of occasions, however then the toughness simply nonetheless there, nonetheless in Amanda’s face, nonetheless in my face.
“Some fights they’re. They’re iconic combined martial arts bouts that we’re all fortunate to witness. And it’s mad that, , double-champ, double-champ. ‘I’m not shocked,’ ‘I’m not suprised.’ I dunno, it’s a madhouse scene…”
After his reward for Nunes and comparisons to his Diaz bouts, McGregor went on to speak about Magomed Ankalaev’s kick test and Anthony Smith’s leg, and Brandon Moreno’s stellar interim flyweight title successful efficiency.
“That Mexican is just a little animal of a factor. So’s the little New Zealander, additionally. Two goers, two correct goers from utterly completely different components of the world. Two completely different individuals, however two of the identical in their very own approach. That was nice to look at that bout. A extremely nice bout. And the little Mexican is a few boy-o. You gotta give it to him… A correct Mexican entrance and a correct Mexican battle…”
Finally he wrapped up with a thanks to all of the fighters on the cardboard, and what sounds to be the promise of a return to the cage someday within the to not distant future.
“I’m buzzing, I wish to come again. What’s up? Good fights like that, good battle nights like that, good playing cards like that, good PPVs encourage thousands and thousands all around the globe. Thanks all a lot for the leisure, and I’ll see you actual quickly.”
McGregor has been rehabbing a damaged leg suffered in his third bout towards Dustin Poirier in July of final 12 months. No phrase but as to only when he could be anticipated to return to the Octagon, or towards who, though the UFC appears to be anticipating him again within the cage someday later this 12 months.