UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes is no longer looking to move up to featherweight and chase a second title.
With the impending return of Cris Cyborg to the Octagon and a featherweight division awaiting her arrival, Amanda Nunes is staying in her own division. Nunes, the current UFC women’s bantamweight champion, had considered moving up to featherweight and pursuing a second title, but in a recent interview, that plan was shut down.
Speaking with AG Fight (Brazil), Nunes said she has no plans to leave the featherweight division for Cris Cyborg and if she ever was to fight Cyborg, the bantamweight champion would need a year to prepare for it.
"“I do not intend to fight with Cris. But my intention was to fight [Holly Holm or Germaine de Randamie], who were in my category, but Cris is coming back now and I’m not interested in going up. I want to see her as the champion. To fight with her, I would have to gain weight and gain muscle. I am at 135 pounds. To do such a job (at 145), I would need at least a year.”"
When asked about previous comments about chasing a second belt and becoming the first ever woman two-division champion, Nunes said she made the comments while Cyborg was on the sideline due to a suspension from USADA at the time. Cyborg was recently given a retroactive TUE and cleared from any violations, allowing for her return to the UFC.
Holly Holm and Germaine De Randamie fought for the inaugural featherweight title while Cyborg was on the sideline, a controversial fight that De Randamie won by unanimous decision. Holm appealed her loss to De Randamie but her appeal was declined by the New York State Athletic Commission.
Now that Nunes has made her position clear and she’s staying in the bantamweight division, her next fight is likely to be against the top contender Valentina Shevchenko who defeated Julianna Pena at UFC On Fox 23.
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Shevchenko is currently on a two-fight win streak with wins over Holly Holm and Pena respectively. The last time we saw Nunes, she defended her belt against former champion Ronda Rousey with a 48-second knockout at UFC 207. The champion and top contender previously met at UFC 196 where Nunes earned a unanimous decision victory.