Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Germaine de Randamie got back on the winning track in her last outing at UFC Fight Island 4 by submitting Julianna Pena in Abu Dhabi (see it again here). The win was her first since getting outclassed by current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champ-champ, Amanda Nunes at UFC 245.
With two losses to Nunes on her record, “Iron Lady” would love nothing more than a third shot at the consensus pound-for-pound best female fighter on the planet. And she is willing to put it all on the line, saying that if she loses to “Lioness” a third time she will retire on the spot.
“In my last fight with Amanda, I didn’t do so well on the ground and I know I’m better than what I’ve shown. I still made a lot of mistakes but there’s always space to learn. I got the submission and it was a beautiful memory,” de Randamie said during her appearance on What the Heck via MMA Fighting.
“If I get another shot at Amanda and she beats me, I’ll retire right then and there on the spot. I will forever stay second best. If she beats me again, I will retire on the spot. There would be nothing left to do. She’s the only one that beat me fair and square. No problem, she’s the true champion. If the third time I can’t beat her, it is what it is.”
De Randamie’s losses to Nunes have come at Bantamweight and Featherweight, and though she would love to rematch Amanda at 135 pounds, she will gladly take the 145 fight again if that is the only option.
“If she beats me, I will retire with my head held high. I’m second best. She’s the best, but I still believe I can beat her. Every piece of me tells me I can beat her, and I have the utmost respect for the champ. But if she beats me again, that will be the end of my MMA career. I’ve done it all. I’ve seen it all. That just means I can’t beat her.”
As it stands, Nunes is set to defend her Featherweight title against Megan Anderson at UFC 256 on Dec. 12, 2020. As for de Randamie, she isn’t guaranteed another shot at Nunes after losing to her last December. That means she will likely have to win one more fight to earn the shot.