Reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) woman’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes is enjoying the fruits of her labor. After her 48 second destruction of Ronda Rousey at UFC 207, “The Lioness” has been appearing on numerous mainstream talk shows and media outlets.
Despite her moment in the spotlight, there is work to be done. This Saturday night (Jan. 28), Valentina Shevchenko and Julianna Pena will share the Octagon. The winner is likely to meet Nunes for the 135-pound championship later this year.
Nunes recently appeared on Luke Thomas’ SiriusXM radio show. She said it was hard to determine who would win the bout, but admitted she would like to face Pena:
“I really don’t know because this fight can go either way. I will be ready for whoever. I beat Shevchenko already. I hope Julianna can fight this fight (and) we can make this happen. I don’t know, I don’t have any picks for this fight.”
Back in March 2016 at UFC 196, Nunes defeated Shevchenko by unanimous decision. “Bullet” had success in the final round, which left many wondering what would’ve happened if she was given two more rounds to work with.
Nunes acknowledged that she started to fade in the final round of that bout. She said since that fight, she has made adjustments in training and is prepared if she has to meet Shevchenko again.
“My toughest opponent (I) think was Valentina Shevchenko. I got tired in the third round. It was a weird fight for me. I never (fought anyone) tougher. I never trained for a girl like that, but after that fight I’ve been training every single day for southpaws. (If) she wins this fight against Julianna we’ll be ready. But I think that one was a tough fight because in the third round I had to control myself to get the win.”
You can watch the full interview below:
