The two-division champion defended her UFC featherweight title at UFC 259.
Amanda Nunes has shed some light on the fate of the women’s featherweight division in the UFC. According to the two-division champion, the division is here to stay.
“They did not cut the division,” Nunes told Amy Kaplan of FanSided. “Dana [White] and I have a great relationship, as long as I want to defend it he will find me opponents.”
The confirmation from Nunes comes a week after UFC officials denied claims of the division being cut made by former title challenger Megan Anderson on her Twitch stream following her first-round submission loss to Nunes at UFC 259.
Anderson fought out of her UFC contract and said the last women’s featherweight fight would be between Felicia Spencer and Danyelle Wolf at an upcoming May event, but that does not appear to be the case.
There is just a handful of women’s featherweights currently signed to the UFC, but Nunes remains confident that the UFC brass finds her opponents.
In case that does not happen, she has been open about the possibility of the division being shut down in the future, saying she would be “okay” if that did happen as long as she leaves it behind with the title still in her possession.
As she waits for a new contender to emerge at 145 pounds, Nunes revealed she will be making her return to the women’s bantamweight division for her next title defense. Although there is no opponent officially scheduled for her yet, it has been strongly hinted that Julianna Peña will be next for Nunes.
When asked how she sees the fight with Peña going, Nunes says she expects another successful title defense.
“I see myself having my hand raised and retaining my belt,” she said. “I will be working with a nutritionist and taking care of my body properly to have it working the way it needs to be.”