Amanda Nunes regains bantamweight title, reaffirms GOAT status with dominant win over Julianna Peña

Amanda Nunes reaffirmed her greatness to the few who doubted her after she misplaced her bantamweight title to Julianna Peña in December. And although Peña surrendered her belt to Nunes Saturday in the principle occasion of UFC 277 on the American Airways Middle in Dallas she proved she’s one of many hardest fighters ever to set foot within the Octagon.

It was an unbelievable battle, as Nunes went southpaw early and was cracking Peña repeatedly with exhausting proper palms. She went wrestle-heavy within the second half of the battle and Peña, regardless of being lined with blood, was throwing up submission makes an attempt.

However this was Nunes’ night time and he or she placed on maybe her best efficiency since she stopped Cris Cyborg in 2018 at UFC 232.

Nunes swept all 5 rounds on all three judges’ playing cards, profitable by scores of 50-45, 50-44 and 50-43. Yahoo Sports activities had Nunes, 50-44.

There was little doubt when it was over, although there was loads of doubt all through the battle. Nunes was clearly in management, however Peña caught her in a number of submission makes an attempt, together with an armbar and a Kimura, that triggered Nunes a number of nervous moments.

Nunes had mentioned earlier than the battle that she wasn’t in the suitable situation forward of their first battle, when she misplaced the title at UFC 269 at T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas. Peña submitted her within the second spherical with a rear-naked choke that night time.

However Nunes was dominant from starting to finish and had Peña reeling repeatedly. She reduce Peña with an elbow on the highest of the brow and the blood flowed into Peña’s eyes for a lot of the last two rounds. Peña cutman Don Home did an admirable job stopping it, however Nunes stored reopening it and Peña was leaking all around the Octagon.

Nunes reaffirmed her standing as the best feminine fighter in MMA historical past, however Peña nonetheless sits as her best problem after two fights.