Before Amanda Nunes defends her Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s Bantamweight title this Saturday night (July 6, 2019) at UFC 239 in Las Vegas, Nevada, let’s take a look back at the night she made history by becoming the first-ever female UFC champ-champ.
Last December, Nunes found herself staring down perhaps the most vicious and powerful striker in the history of women’s mixed martial arts (MMA) in Cris Cyborg, who was putting her Featherweight strap on the line. After almost a year of back-and-forth between the two combatants, the talking was set to come to an end and the debate as to who the baddest woman on the planet would finally be settled. And it didn’t take long to see what was what.
From the on-set, the two champions were determined to implement their will and not take a step backwards. Indeed. The two ladies stood in the pocket and exchanged haymakers, something that has made Cyborg a fan-favorite throughout her career. Willing to prove she was game, Amanda hung in there as well, eating a nice right from Cris in the first 30 seconds. A few seconds later, though, “Lioness” decked Cyborg with a mean right hook of her won that nearly dropped her, though she was quick to get back to her feet.
Smelling blood, Nunes took a step back to gauge her opponent and then immediately dropped her with another right hand. Once Cris got back up, Amanda unleashed a ferocious four-punch combination that once again sent Cris stumbling to the mat. After getting up, yet again, Cyborg ate one more vicious right hand from her fellow countrywomen that put her out for the count.
And just like that, a GOAT was born.
Talks of a rematch didn’t result in one, and now that Cris might be looking for greener pastures elsewhere, it will likely never happen. Meanwhile, Nunes will look to add another former champion to her belt when she faces Holly Holm in “Sin City.”
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