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With Cris Cyborg out of the picture reigning UFC women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes has her next opponent lined up.
According to a recent report by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, “Lioness” is expected to defend her 135-pound crown opposite former UFC featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie at UFC 245 on Dec. 14 from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This will be a rematch six years in the making as Nunes defeated de Randamie via TKO back in 2013.
Nunes, 31, is coming off a scintillating knockout finish over former bantamweight titleholder Holly Holm back at UFC 239 this past July. The surging Brazilian fighter had finished Cyborg in just 51 seconds the fight before that to capture the 145-pound crown and become a two-division champion. In total, “Lioness” has won her last nine Octagon appearances, including victories over Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, and current UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, en route to becoming the consensus greatest female fighter of all time.
De Randamie, 35, launched herself back into bantamweight title contention with a recent 16-second TKO finish over rising contender Aspen Ladd back in July. “Iron Lady” had won the vacant UFC featherweight championship back in 2017 with a decision win over Holm, but de Randamie was later stripped of the title after refusing to defend it against Cyborg. In total, the Dutch striker has won her last five Octagon appearances after losing to “Lioness” six years ago.
At this time, it is unknown if the women’s bantamweight title fight will headline the UFC 245 PPV card.
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