The women’s Featherweight division seems to be coming to an end.
Amanda Nunes mauled Irene Aldana at UFC 289 tonight (Sat., June 10, 2023), winning a dominant unanimous decision win from inside Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. After her sixth Bantamweight title defense, Nunes retired from mixed martial arts (MMA) while holding both the Featherweight and Bantamweight championships (watch her retirement speech).
With Nunes now gone, the state of the uninhabited Featherweight division is being called into question. Many fans and analysts believe the division should be terminated with only three or four fighters currently in it. UFC president Dana White addressed if the women’s 145 division will go away during the UFC 289 post-fight press conference (watch it).
“The answer is probably yes,” White told reporters. “I mean, I don’t make these decisions right after a fight. You know, [Nunes] told me when she walked over to the side of the cage that she was retiring. So yeah, I don’t know. But it makes sense.”
And with that, rest in peace UFC Women’s Featherweight division. It was an underwhelming six years, but hey, we got Nunes vs. Cris Cyborg, which was awesome (watch highlights).
Spinning the conversation forward, can an Atomweight division be created next? What say you, Maniacs?
For complete UFC 289 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.