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Amanda Nunes has waited since Dec. 12 for a rematch against Julianna Peña.
In three days, she will be finished waiting.
“I want my belt back,” says Nunes, who challenges Peña for the bantamweight title this Saturday at UFC 277. “I know I’m the better fighter. I made huge mistakes in my last fight. That won’t happen again.”
Nunes (21-5) tapped out against Peña (11-4), an unthinkable decision entering the bout, and this was no fluke. Peña beat her in convincing fashion, withstanding Nunes’s best shots in the opening round before seizing control in the second.
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The fight changed dramatically in Round 2. Peña started to land lefts and rights, willingly eating Nunes’s shots in return, then landing more. After taking an exhausted Nunes to the mat, Peña locked in a rear naked choke to put an exclamation point on the most significant victory of her career.
“That was her night,” said Nunes. “I made a lot of mistakes, and I paid for it. It was one of those nights. It happened, and I’m ready to move on.”
Nunes says she learned lessons from the loss that she will apply in their rematch. Nunes denied she has lost the hunger to dominate in the cage, and warned that those who doubt her are in for a rude awakening.
“I get why people think that,” Nunes says. “When you dominate as long as I did, there are moments when you want to rest and enjoy life. And I am so happy. Motherhood is even better than I thought. Our daughter Raegan makes it easy. She makes me want to be the best version of myself. But I am still training and ready for Saturday.”
UFC 277 does not signify a chance for redemption. Nunes already cemented herself as a legend, securing a place in the pantheon of all-time fighting greats. But, if her insatiable thirst is back on display this Saturday, she has the opportunity to prove, once again, that she has no equal in mixed martial arts.
“This is the opportunity to get my belt back,” Nunes says. “And I’m going to get it.”
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Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
