Latest news with #VenezuelanVixen
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC 316: 3 things we learned that went under the radar
Merab Dvalishvili and Kayla Harrison proved their bantamweight supremacy over worthy opposition this past weekend to close the bill at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey. A card that did not look as promising — to a casual viewer — bloomed in the Garden State and gave us plenty to think about. Harrison's second-round submission of Juliana Peña was so dominant that it flipped "The Venezuelan Vixen's" fighting words into prayers for future success. The victory set up a fight for the ages, as the GOAT of women's MMA, Amanda Nunes, has now set her sights on a title bout against Harrison two years after supposedly laying her gloves down for good — and just weeks before her induction into the UFC Hall of Fame. Advertisement From one GOAT announcing her return, another may have established his position in history. Who is beating Dvalishvili after he dusted a rebranded Sean O'Malley in the third round? Any questions about their first fight were soundly put to bed, as a healthy, refocused O'Malley could not replicate what his "Suga" alter ego did in September and at least make it to the final buzzer against "The Machine." No smoking, no social media, no flashy hair colors, no signature "Superstar" walkout? "No problem," said the Georgian. Dvalishvili is getting better with each fight — and that's terrifying. From an entertaining decision over Umar Nurmagomedov to his nasty north-south choke on O'Malley, it's all done with a smile on his face. It's hard to believe that worthy contender Cory Sandhagen and the rest of the bantamweight division could impose the slightest threat to the current champion. Advertisement But Saturday's card at Prudential Center was much more than the pay-per-view lineup. From the prelims to the headliners, there were plenty of reasons to annotate this event. Here are three things we learned from UFC 316 that went under the radar. The future is bright for Asian fighters in the UFC Joshua Van knocked out Bruno Silva in their flyweight bout at UFC 316 in New Jersey (Elsa/Getty Images) (Elsa via Getty Images) There must be something in the water in Asia that is producing a future generation of stars in the biggest stage of MMA. Not to say all Asian fighters are dominating the UFC, but UFC 316 was a great showcase of what's coming from the world's largest continent. Setting the table was Korea's Yoo Joo-sang, who took on Indonesia's Jeka Saragih in a featherweight bout on Saturday's undercard. In his UFC debut, "Zombie Jr." announced his arrival with fireworks, producing a beautiful knockout in just 28 seconds. Luring his opponent into the fence, Yoo landed a left hook, found Saragih's chin and sent him falling into the canvas face-first to move to 9-0 as a pro. Advertisement That theme of sharp striking immediately carried over to Wang Cong, who picked apart Ariane da Silva in the next bout after da Silva missed weight by seven pounds for their women's flyweight contest. The Chinese striker chopped at da Silva's left calf and used her crisp boxing to cruise toward a unanimous decision with 30-27s across the board. Piecing up a durable opponent was also key for Joshua Van, who at 23 years old is proving to be the one of hottest prospects in the flyweight division. Born in Hakha, Myanmar, the Burmese-American sensation scored his fourth straight win by stopping Bruno Silva inside three rounds in the prelims headliner. While Silva had his moments in the fight, Van shook off any errors and picked up where he left off with his striking, landing 149 of 241 strikes and holding Silva to 77-of-150 before scoring a third-round stoppage. Not even near his fighting prime, Van is now 14-2 and 7-1 in the UFC. Advertisement Asian talents are no strangers to the world of MMA. However, Saturday's display showed why the sun continues to rise in the east and beam into the sport. With Zhang Weili ahead of the pack and the likes of Song Yadong, Kai Asakura, Tatsuro Taira and Yan Xiaonan all in the picture — the possibilities are endless. The UFC debut curse lives on Mario Bautista defeated Patchy Mix at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey (Elsa/Getty Images) (Elsa via Getty Images) How many parlays were busted by underdog Mario Bautista's incredible performance over UFC debutant Patchy Mix in their bantamweight meeting? It was no surprise that Las Vegas had Mix favored to come out victorious. After all, this was a much-hyped Bellator champion going up against the No. 10 fighter in the UFC's 135-pound rankings. Nonetheless, Bautista showed the key difference between the UFC and everybody else as Mix appeared to melt under the bright lights of the Octagon— further solidifying the UFC debut curse. Advertisement Bautista put on a "Welcome to the League" masterclass and showed Mix he was not going to cakewalk his way into the ranks. The fight remained standing for 15 minutes, with both men throwing nearly the same amount of strikes; Bautista landed 173-of-302, while Mix landed 122-of-304. In what was one of the most anticipated UFC debuts in recent years, Mix's feet looked like concrete blocks standing on quicksand. On the other hand, Bautista took the chip on his shoulder and dipped it in the mix to show the level differences. Kayla Harrison excluded, several big names have been shut down in their UFC debuts after making the jump from other promotions as of late. Mix joins fellow Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull, who lost to Yair Rodriguez in April, and former RIZIN champion Asakura, who was gifted a title shot in his debut and got submitted by Alexandre Pantoja in the second round. However, this theme dates all the way back to the UFC's DVD era. Advertisement Remember Mauricio Rua's UFC debut in 2007? "Shogun" was one of the biggest stars in Pride FC but got stunningly submitted by "The Ultimate Fighter" winner Forrest Griffin in his first UFC fight. Bautista made a statement for himself and showed his worthiness of that coveted UFC ranking. It's a movie we've seen before and continues to get remade. Don't skip leg day MarQuel Mederos used leg kicks to defeat Mark Choinski at UFC 316 (Michelle Farsi/Zuffa LLC) (Michelle Farsi via Getty Images) If you don't know by now, lower-body attacks continue to prove their effectiveness in the Octagon. Saturday's event was no exception as the leg and calf kicks were on full display early into the card. Advertisement The use of leg attacks in Newark would make the likes of Jose Aldo, Edson Barbosa and hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest proud. It started with the very first fight in the evening as MarQuel Mederos rocked Mark Choinski's foundation en route to a decisive victory on the cards. Mederos landed 32 leg strikes, mostly targeting Choinski's calf — and it paid off exceptionally. The leg attacks resulted in three knockdowns in the second round as Choinski was heavily compromised and forced to switch stances. Three fights later, Wang forced da Silva to protect her left leg instead of focusing on her upper-body attacks by landing 40 of 43 leg strikes throughout their 15-minute bout. The early onslaught on da Silva's legs allowed "The Joker" to beat her body and head up as she struggled to retreat with her wheels locked. Advertisement Wang landed 75 strikes to the head and 28 to the body while chopping at da Silva's calf. In the second round, one of the leg kicks dropped da Silva and nearly led to a finish. Although the Brazilian found some momentum late in the fight, her inability to attack from the leg kicks early on put her two rounds down as Wang secured the decision. While viewers mostly opt for headhunting affairs, there's few things more brutal than a masterful leg-chopping performance. The leg kick is one of the most effective and used weapons in the sport, yet it still feels underrated and under-appreciated. Take note. And if you don't know, now you know.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MMA pound-for-pound rankings, June 2025: Is Kayla Harrison the No. 1 women's fighter in the world?
Did Saturday night feel like a coronation for Kayla Harrison, who came into her women's bantamweight title fight at UFC 316 as a historical favorite to beat Julianna Peña? It kind of did, yeah. Like a train-tossing Godzilla, we saw her coming from several city blocks away. And when she crashed through the "Venezuelan Vixen," there was a feeling that she'd been coming for that one last gold accessory all along. Harrison's résumé might be the best going in combat sports — a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo who now has titles in the two biggest promotions around. It looks like she'll roll out the 'welcome home' mat for Amanda Nunes at some point later in 2025, but for right now she moves up a spot in this month's Uncrowned MMA pound-for-pound rankings on the women's side. Advertisement On the men's? Let's just say that Merab Dvalishvili isn't going anywhere. His systematic destruction of Sean O'Malley in the rematch served as a reminder that he just might be the best champion going. His sport near the top of the men's pound-for-pound list is secure. The panel of Ben Fowlkes, Chuck Mindenhall, Shaheen Al-Shatti, Petesy Carroll, Drake Riggs, Eric Jackman and Conner Burks have ranked both the men's and women's pound-for-pound best, one through 10, using a weighted points system to determine the final rankings (being voted No. 1 equals 10 points, No. 2 equals nine points, down to No. 10 equaling one point). Our only criterion for these monthly rankings is that a fighter has competed within at least a calendar year of the publication date or has at least had a fight booked within that window. If a fighter hasn't competed in a year and books a fight after that time, he or she is once again eligible to be voted back in. Fighters who retire are no longer eligible for the rankings. Though most of the best fighters are currently in the UFC, these rankings are not UFC exclusive. We take into consideration all the major promotions, from PFL to ONE Championship. Advertisement Without further ado, the MMA pound-for-pound rankings for June! Merab Dvalishvili is still the king of the bantamweights. (Elsa/Getty Images) (Elsa via Getty Images) MEN'S POUND-FOR-POUND 1. Islam Makhachev — UFC lightweight champion (Prev: 1) Islam's great skedaddle from the lightweight ranks just as Ilia Topuria arrived on the scene will be a talking point until it isn't. Should he make a successful leap to welterweight to snap up Jack Della Maddalena's title later this year, the narratives crowding around the pound-for-pound best will center of GOAT talk more than anything else. 2. Ilia Topuria — UFC featherweight champion (Prev: 2) Now that it's been made, Topuria's lightweight title fight against Charles Oliveira feels too good to be an ordinary consolation prize. With Oliveira's ground game (he has a UFC record 16 submissions), there could be some intense moments through the scrambles. UFC 317 can't get here quick enough. Advertisement 3. Merab Dvalishvili — UFC bantamweight champion (Prev: 3) Listen, Merab is cut from a different cloth. He knew exactly what O'Malley was working on in his training camp and it didn't faze him a lick. He went out there and shot on 'Suga' Sean whenever he felt like it. That third round was what sportscasters used to call an 'onslaught.' Looks like Cory Sandhagen is next on the conveyor belt to the buzz saw. 4. Alexandre Pantoja — UFC flyweight champion (Prev: 4) Very quietly making his claim as one of the very best fighters in the world is "The Cannibal" himself, who will anchor the co-feature spot at International Fight Week later this month. A victory over Kai Kara-France would help solidify him as one of the most dominant champions going, but the young wave (Muhammad Mokaev if he ever comes back, or Joshua Van) might have something to say. Advertisement 5. Dricus du Plessis — UFC middleweight champion (Prev: 5) So it'll go down in Chicago this August. "DDP's" fight with Khamzat Chimaev not only strikes a serious chord of interest for fight fans, but — in this day and age of champions jumping divisions like hobos jumping trains — it feels organic. Sneakily, this is one of those fights that carries serious intrigue, if only because we've waited so long for Chimaev's coronation and … well … du Plessis is the rudest party host we've seen in a long time. 6. Tom Aspinall — UFC interim heavyweight champion (Prev: 6) It wasn't exactly music to Aspinall's ears when he heard Dana White say he had no real knowledge of Jon Jones' tweet storm. In the latest barrage Jones indicated that the UFC can strip him of his title, no sweat. What has all this waiting been about then? Here's hoping for clarity as soon as this week, but it sure seems like Aspinall's next fight will be somebody other than we all hoped. Advertisement 7. Magomed Ankalaev — UFC light heavyweight champion (Prev: 7) Speaking of impatient, the big Dagestani seems to be a little peeved at the waiting game he's being forced to play for the rematch with Alex Pereira. So far it's been a very quiet victory lap for Ankalaev, who's never really been one to create waves. He's said that he feels like he's still being treated as the 'challenger,' which has his nostrils flaring. 8. Jon Jones — UFC heavyweight champion (Prev: 8) Is it exhausting waiting for Jon Jones? Shoot playa, exhausting was back in April! We're on to phases of calcification. Maybe we'll get better clarity this week, but Jones appears to be happy doing anything other than fighting Tom Aspinall, and that's problematic given that … well, each of them is still holding a heavyweight title. Advertisement 9. Francis Ngannou — PFL super fights heavyweight champion (Prev: 10) As inevitably happens when Jones' matchmaking becomes part of a broader conversation, Ngannou's name keeps getting brought up as a potential Plan B for the UFC to consider. When asked if he would consider bringing Ngannou back, Dana White said on Saturday that it wasn't likely. Damn. It's already raining on our parade, so why not add some golf-ball sized hail, Dana! 10. Khamzat Chimaev — UFC middleweight contender (Prev: NR) August will be an interesting time for 'Borz,' because, A) it'll represent his return to the United States, something we weren't sure could happen under different administrations, and, B) haven't we been waiting for this guy to become a champion for like a half-decade? We're all knocking on wood we can get Chimaev in one piece to Chicago for the "DDP" clash! Advertisement (Others receiving votes: Alex Pereira, Jack Della Maddalena, Alexander Volkanovski, Arman Tsarukyan) Kayla Harrison (right) coaxed Amanda Nunes out of retirement with her UFC 316 win. (Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC) (Ed Mulholland via Getty Images) WOMEN'S POUND-FOR-POUND 1. Zhang Weili — UFC strawweight champion (Prev: 1) If ever there was a time for Zhang to make the move to flyweight and try to capture a second title, it's now. It's true that Virna Jandiroba is right there as a viable next defense for Zhang, and it's hard to deny her … but Valentina Shevchenko is 37 years old and coming off a huge title defense. Strike while the iron is hot, we say. The chance may never be there again. 2. Valentina Shevchenko — UFC flyweight champion (Prev: 2) The queen is alive and well, thank you, and just as cold as ever. Vegas oddsmakers made Shevchenko the betting underdog in her first title defense (of her latest title run) against Manon Fiorot. Honestly, it was the right call. Shevchenko had gone 2-1-1 in her past four fights, with one of those wins — a split decision against Taila Santos — perhaps being an act of judge's generosity. Then we all saw the reminder she served in Montreal. Advertisement 3. Kayla Harrison — UFC bantamweight contender (Prev: 4) Harrison's sole focus was to somehow make the 135-pound limit heading into UFC 316, and as she mentioned afterward, it got a little dicey. She said she lost that last stubborn pound through divine intervention. The thing is, once she makes the weight? She's like a beast unleashed. She went right through Peña. Next up: Amanda Nunes. 4. Cris Cyborg — PFL super fights women's featherweight champion (Prev: 3) When Donn Davis proposed a heavyweight superfight between his own Francis Ngannou and the UFC's Jon Jones, stipulating that profits could be shared by the winning fighter/organization, the first person to chime in was Cyborg. She said she wanted to fight the judo girl (Harrison). It's hard to detect tones on X, but we identified that post as 'plaintive.' Advertisement 5. Dakota Ditcheva — PFL women's 2024 flyweight tournament champion (Prev: 6) Has Ditcheva become the single most coveted fighter that the UFC can't get? It might be the case. We've seen the Patricio Pitbull's and Patch Mix's cross over lately, but neither could create the kind of mega-buzz Ditcheva would generate. She's not just destroying whoever the PFL puts in front of her, she's begging them to find her better competition. She has that superstar glow. 6. Natalia Silva — UFC flyweight contender (Prev: 8) There was a point in time about a decade ago when Silva was a modest 3-4-1 in her MMA career. Since then she's been a savage, with a 16-1 record, and a 13-fight win streak. She is 7-0 in the UFC, and she left little doubt of how dominant she has gotten in her latest fight against former champ Alexa Grasso. A title challenge against Shevchenko would be fun, so long as Zhang doesn't make the jump Advertisement 7. Virna Jandiroba — UFC strawweight contender (Prev: 7) Jandiroba's come a long way from that version of herself that lost to Mackenzie Dern in 2020. Five wins in a row, with a steady escalation of competition. Her latest conquest was Yan Xiaonan, and right now it's title shot or bust because … well, Jandiroba just celebrated her 37th birthday at the end of May. The window to win a title is narrower than what might be considered optimal. 8. Larissa Pacheco — PFL featherweight contender (Prev: 9) Trying again. Dear reader, we come to you with our hands out. Stop. We are writing to ask if you've heard from one Larissa Pacheco. Stop. We last saw her busting up Cyborg about an eon ago and — though she lost that fight — we're anxious to see her back. Stop. If you've information as to her whereabouts, would you be so good as to let us know? Stop. Most fondly, your Rankings Committee. Stop. Advertisement 9. Seika Izawa — RIZIN super atomweight champion (Prev: 10) If Naoya Inoue is the standard for excellence in men's combat sports in Japan, then Izawa is that on the women's side. Just 27 years old, she is a dervish of harnessed primal instinct, especially when a fight hits the mats. Her finish of Lucia Apdelgarim at RIZIN 49 on New Year's Eve was her fifth submission victory in six fights. If the UFC ever introduces an atomweight division, it'll be because of the 'Supernova.' 10. Manon Fiorot — UFC strawweight contender (Prev: NR) Look, Fiorot had her moments against Shevchenko, yet it hurt to leave Montreal without the women's 125-pound title. Sometimes you take more in a loss than you can in a victory, which is a hollow-feeling silver lining when you're 35. But, all is not lost. If she can rebound with a big win, here's guessing she won't be very far from that pole position, as she's already beaten a slew of top contenders. Advertisement (Others receiving votes: Julianna Pena, Jasmine Jasudavicius, Raquel Pennington, Erin Blanchfield, Alexa Grasso) Here's how we voted: SHAHEEN AL-SHATTI MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Ilia Topuria 3. Merab Dvalishvili 4. Alexandre Pantoja 5. Dricus du Plessis 6. Magomed Ankalaev 7. Alex Pereira 8. Tom Aspinall 9. Alexander Volkanovski 10. Jack Della Maddalena WOMEN 1. Kayla Harrison 2. Zhang Weili 3. Valentina Shevchenko 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Larissa Pacheco 6. Seika Izawa 7. Dakota Ditcheva 8. Virna Jandiroba 9. Natalia Silva 10. Jasmine Jasudavicius CONNER BURKS MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Merab Dvalishvili 3. Ilia Topuria 4. Alexandre Pantoja Advertisement 5. Dricus Du Plessis 6. Jon Jones 7. Tom Aspinall 8. Alexander Volkanovski 9. Magomed Ankalaev 10. Khamzat Chimaev WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Kayla Harrison 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Dakota Ditcheva 6. Natalia Silva 7. Larissa Pacheco 8. Virna Jandiroba 9. Manon Fiorot 10. Julianna Pena PETESY CARROLL MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Ilia Topuria 3. Merab Dvalishvili 4. Tom Aspinall 5. Alexandre Pantoja 6. Magomed Ankalaev 7. Jon Jones 8. Alex Pereira 9. Francis Ngannou 10. Dricus Du Plessis WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Kayla Harrison 4. Dakota Ditcheva 5. Cris Cyborg 6. Julianna Pena 7. Natalia Silva 8. Manon Fiorot Advertisement 9. Virna Jandiroba 10. Seika Izawa BEN FOWLKES MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Ilia Topuria 3. Merab Dvalishvili 4. Alexandre Pantoja 5. Dricus Du Plessis 6. Magomed Ankalaev 7. Tom Aspinall 8. Francis Ngannou 9. Jon Jones 10. Jack Della Maddalena WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Kayla Harrison 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Dakota Ditcheva 6. Virna Jandiroba 7. Natalia Silva 8. Jasmine Jasudavicius 9. Manon Fiorot 10. Raquel Pennington ERIC JACKMAN MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Ilia Topuria 3. Merab Dvalishvili 4. Khamzat Chimaev 5. Dricus du Plessis 6. Alexandre Pantoja 7. Tom Aspinall 8. Magomed Ankalaev 9. Jack Della Maddalena 10. Arman Tsarukyan Advertisement WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Kayla Harrison 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Virna Jandiroba 6. Natalia Silva 7. Larissa Pacheco 8. Jasmine Jasudavicius 9. Dakota Ditcheva 10. Manon Fiorot CHUCK MINDENHALL MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Merab Dvalishvili 3. Ilia Topuria 4. Tom Aspinall 5. Jon Jones 6. Magomed Ankalaev 7. Dricus du Plessis 8. Alexander Volkanovski 9. Jack Della Maddalena 10. Khamzat Chimaev WOMEN 1. Kayla Harrison 2. Zhang Weili 3. Valentina Shevchenko 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Dakota Ditcheva 6. Manon Fiorot 7. Virna Jandiroba 8. Natalia Silva 9. Jasmine Jasudavicius 10. Erin Blanchfield DRAKE RIGGS MEN 1. Islam Makhachev Advertisement 2. Merab Dvalishvili 3. Ilia Topuria 4. Alexandre Pantoja 5. Dricus du Plessis 6. Tom Aspinall 7. Francis Ngannou 8. Jon Jones 9. Magomed Ankalaev 10. Jack Della Maddalena WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Seika Izawa 3. Valentina Shevchenko 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Kayla Harrison 6. Natalia Silva 7. Virna Jandiroba 8. Larissa Pacheco 9. Dakota Ditcheva 10. Alexa Grasso
USA Today
09-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Julianna Peña reacts to UFC 316 loss: 'Calling dibs on the winner' of Harrison vs. Nunes
Julianna Peña reacts to UFC 316 loss: 'Calling dibs on the winner' of Harrison vs. Nunes Julianna Peña wants to jump right back into the title picture after UFC 316. Peña (13-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) lost her bantamweight title to Kayla Harrison (19-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) by submission in Saturday's co-headliner at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Awaiting the outcome of this fight was former UFC dual-champion Amanda Nunes, who will come out of retirement to challenge Harrison. The pair faced off in the octagon after the fight. "The Venezuelan Vixen" took to Instagram to open up on her loss, and wants the winner of Harrison vs. Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC). "Thank you to the fans who lifted me with your love and encouragement during this #fightcamp.I love you all and feel so grateful for all the support and energy you guys give me—It truly means the world 🥹 ! I'm sorry I wasn't able to get the job done 💔I'm super disappointed but hats off to Kayla on her win! Time to get healed up and get ready for her next fight because I'm calling dibs on the winner !" Peña claimed the bantamweight title the first time with a stunning upset of Nunes at UFC 269. She then lost her title to Nunes in their rematch at UFC 277, but wasn't able to get her trilogy bout when Nunes opted to retire and relinquish the belt. Peña then defeated Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 to reclaim the bantamweight title, but lost it again when she was submitted by Harrison at UFC 316.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC return confirmed: Amanda Nunes isn't coming back just for a good time, but a long time
NEWARK, N.J. – Amanda Nunes is returning to the UFC for a good time but also perhaps a long time. During a fan Q&A on Wednesday at Prudential Center ahead of Saturday's UFC 316 ceremonial weigh-ins, Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC) confirmed her comeback to the cage and added that it won't be just a one-off. Advertisement "I'm ready to stay here," Nunes said. "I'm going to take the belt back. I'm going to defend as long as possible. As long as my body can handle, I'm going to be here." In recent months, Nunes has teased a comeback. She was spotted in the crowd at a press conference in March and nodded her head when it was suggested she might return. She's also posted several times cryptically on social media. Nunes' official comeback confirmation comes on the eve of a crucial fight for the women's bantamweight division as her two-time rival Julianna Peña looks to defend the title vs. Kayla Harrison, a fighter Nunes has trained with in the past. Nunes will likely face the winner, and she doesn't particularly seem to care who that is. "I love this. I'm so excited. To see my name all over, that's what I'm here for," Nunes said. "To come back, I'm ready for tomorrow. I'm ready to fight. ... I have Kayla by decision. Honestly, I'm a champion. Either one, I'm going to be ready for. Let's go." While Nunes passed on picking which fight she'd like more, she stayed respectful when she spoke of Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC). When asked about Peña (11-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) and her trash talk, Nunes wasn't as kind to "The Venezuelan Vixen." Advertisement "I just think Julianna has to shut up and fight and stop crying all the time about things," Nunes said. "Just face the girl, and that's it. Like, the girl is there. Tomorrow, Kayla is going to show up. I want to see if she shows up, as well. Kayla is going to bring it for her, though. She thinks it's going to be easy? She's delusional if she thinks it's going to be easy. Nunes, 37, retired from mixed martial arts competition in June 2023 following a successful title defense vs. Irena Aldana. The win came on the heels of a 1-1 series vs. Peña, who shockingly pulled off an upset before Nunes got her revenge. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Amanda Nunes: Bring on Kayla Harrison or Julianna Peña for UFC return
USA Today
06-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC return confirmed: Amanda Nunes isn't coming back just for a good time, but a long time
UFC return confirmed: Amanda Nunes isn't coming back just for a good time, but a long time NEWARK, N.J. – Amanda Nunes is returning to the UFC for a good time but also perhaps a long time. During a fan Q&A on Wednesday at Prudential Center ahead of Saturday's UFC 316 ceremonial weigh-ins, Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC) confirmed her comeback to the cage and added that it won't be just a one-off. "I'm ready to stay here," Nunes said. "I'm going to take the belt back. I'm going to defend as long as possible. As long as my body can handle, I'm going to be here." In recent months, Nunes has teased a comeback. She was spotted in the crowd at a press conference in March and nodded her head when it was suggested she might return. She's also posted several times cryptically on social media. Nunes' official comeback confirmation comes on the eve of a crucial fight for the women's bantamweight division as her two-time rival Julianna Peña looks to defend the title vs. Kayla Harrison, a fighter Nunes has trained with in the past. Nunes will likely face the winner, and she doesn't particularly seem to care who that is. "I love this. I'm so excited. To see my name all over, that's what I'm here for," Nunes said. "To come back, I'm ready for tomorrow. I'm ready to fight. ... I have Kayla by decision. Honestly, I'm a champion. Either one, I'm going to be ready for. Let's go." While Nunes passed on picking which fight she'd like more, she stayed respectful when she spoke of Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC). When asked about Peña (11-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) and her trash talk, Nunes wasn't as kind to "The Venezuelan Vixen." "I just think Julianna has to shut up and fight and stop crying all the time about things," Nunes said. "Just face the girl, and that's it. Like, the girl is there. Tomorrow, Kayla is going to show up. I want to see if she shows up, as well. Kayla is going to bring it for her, though. She thinks it's going to be easy? She's delusional if she thinks it's going to be easy. Nunes, 37, retired from mixed martial arts competition in June 2023 following a successful title defense vs. Irena Aldana. The win came on the heels of a 1-1 series vs. Peña, who shockingly pulled off an upset before Nunes got her revenge.
