Amanda Nunes unsure who's next after easy UFC 259 win, but she wants to keep going
LAS VEGAS – Amanda Nunes continues to shut down down contenders hoping to get their hands on UFC gold.
Nunes, the women’s featherweight and bantamweight champion, clocked in yet another title defense Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 259 at the UFC Apex. Nunes (21-4 MMA, 14-1 UFC) easily finished former Invicta FC champion Megan Anderson in her second title defense at 145 pounds.
And soon after her 12th consecutive victory, Nunes was called out on Twitter by “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner Julianna Pena. Although Pena is one of the few fresh matchups available at the top of the bantamweight division, the two-division champ did not seem particularly interested in the fight.
“So Holly is off, she can fight Germaine,” Nunes told reporters at the UFC 259 news conference. “I feel like she has to get in the mix, but we’ll see. I’m going to go back down, I’m going to see my diet because now I’m pretty heavy, so yeah. I’m a champion. I’m never going to turn down fights. I’m going to be facing whoever Dana White wants me to face.”
Pena is coming off a submission win earlier this year against veteran Sara McMann. Prior to that, back in October, Pena had suffered a loss to Germaine de Randamie. “The Venezuelan Vixen” is 2-1 since returning from pregnancy in 2019.
Amanda Nunes punches Megan Anderson in their UFC featherweight championship fight at UFC 259. (Jeff Bottari, Zuffa LLC)
Nunes has basically cleaned out both featherweight and bantamweight divisions. There seems to be no clear challenger in sight following her win over Anderson. But despite her dominance and status as arguably the greatest female fighter in the history of MMA, Nunes doesn’t plan on stopping and is open to whatever challenge comes her way.
“I feel like memories with my family and keep going with my legacy (is what motivates me),” Nunes said. “This is my job, and I love to do this. I love to go to the gym and train and get better and better. I feel like the older I get, I get much better.
“So I want to keep going and then see what’s going to happen for sure, whatever life is going to give to me. I don’t know, we never know, but I’m going to face whoever Dana White wants me to face.”