MMA
Throwback: Amanda Nunes on the Julianna Peña Trilogy at UFC 289
Before her UFC 334 return, a look back at Nunes on the Peña trilogy.
Amanda Nunes challenges Kayla Harrison for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship at UFC 334 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Before she walked away from the sport in 2023, she spoke at the UFC 289 media day about her planned trilogy fight with Julianna Peña, which fell through when Peña was injured.
Peña had submitted Nunes at UFC 269 in December 2021 to take the bantamweight title, and Nunes won it back with a dominant unanimous decision at UFC 277 in July 2022. With Peña out of UFC 289 with broken ribs, Irene Aldana stepped in. Nunes beat her by unanimous decision in the main event in Vancouver and announced her retirement after the fight.
Can Nunes take the title back after more than three years away?
Full press conference: UFC 289: Amanda Nunes on Fighting Irene Aldana, Julianna Pena Trilogy
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Transcript
Interviewer: …question that you that day when you lost the belt to Julianna Peña, like you couldn’t stomach the fact that she beats you, but you could have maybe dealt with somebody else beating you. Why? Well, I guess why was it so hard, Julianna specifically beating you? Why was that hard to stomach or swallow?
Amanda Nunes: She’s not that good, you know. She’s not that good. That was hard to swallow, you know. She’s crazy. She’s like go forward and then punch, and then I just… you know, she had the belt, you know. She can get hit, and no, it’s like no way. I knew I’m gonna go back then and get my belt back again, you know. So, it’s not always down. The second—the second fight, I’m gonna get my belt back. So, and I did it.
Interviewer: So, a trilogy isn’t on the table, you think, in the event that you retain and she wants to fight you again?
Amanda Nunes: Like, I’d fight her again for sure. After, there’s no problem.
Transcript lightly edited for clarity. Footage courtesy of UFC.
More on TSC News: UFC 334 Preview: Gane vs. Hokit Card and Free Fights to Watch · Free Fight: Amanda Nunes vs. Ronda Rousey at UFC 207
Sources: Wikipedia.org (Amanda Nunes, UFC 334; adapted, CC BY-SA 4.0) · Video: The Sports Courier on YouTube.
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Fred Richani
Fred Richani is the Host/Producer of "TSC News" airing on Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN TV) and founder of popular YouTube channels The Sports Courier and TSC Gaming and Entertainment.