Amanda Nunes, who retired from UFC and gave up her two titles in June, has hinted at a potential comeback, stating that she still feels like a champion and has a lot left in the tank.
Amanda Nunes, the MMA legend, isn’t ruling out a return to the ring. She retired and gave up her two UFC titles last June, but the door isn’t entirely shut.
She was ringside at UFC 297, watching Raquel Pennington claim the bantamweight title. Nunes, often hailed as the greatest women’s fighter in UFC history, felt a mix of emotions. She was the undisputed champ at 135 and 145 pounds when she hung up her gloves. But she was ready for a breather, ready to welcome a second kid into her family.
Fast forward seven months, and Nunes doesn’t regret her decision. But the itch to fight? It’s still there, lurking.
“I was nervous [watching the title fight],” Nunes admitted during the UFC 297 post-fight show. “I don’t know why, but I was very nervous. It was mixed feelings. I was happy and sad. When I saw ‘Rocky’ with the belt, I was OK. I wasn’t upset or anything like that.
“I think I did the right decision retiring, resting a little bit. Taking care of the babies. Can’t leave Nina [Nunes] with two babies by herself. So I’ve been enjoying it, too. My whole life was fighting related, so I was not really able to enjoy my 20s. My 20s passed like that. I’m 35 now, and now I’m able to go back to Brazil, stay a little bit with my friends and family, and enjoy and see what happens.”
The hiatus from fighting has been a breath of fresh air for Nunes. She’s been able to focus on something other than the relentless grind of training camps and title defenses. But she’s a fighter at heart, and it’s hard to ignore that.
“I’m still young, fresh,” Nunes said. “We never know [what might happen]. We have a lot of things to do. I’ve got to figure out a bunch of things at home still, what I’m going to do and see what happens.”
Nunes isn’t announcing a comeback, but it’s clear she’s been mulling over the idea. Seeing her title on someone else’s waist has got her thinking.
Nunes has a lot on her plate in the coming months. And it’s entirely possible that her journey might lead her back to the UFC.
“I don’t know — we never know,” Nunes said. “I’m a fighter and this is my job. I love this so much, and I don’t know. I enjoy as well not being in the gym everyday and having a normal life, stay home a little bit and be lazy. I [can’t be] lazy as a fighter, it’s very hard.
“But I’m still healthy and powerful, smart, think like a champion. I still feel like a champion, so we’ll see.”
Nunes retired with an impressive 23-5 record, including reigns as both the bantamweight and featherweight champions in the UFC. She’s the only fighter in UFC history to hold wins over every single champion to ever hold the belt at both 135 and 145 pounds — including a lopsided victory over Pennington in 2018.