“Which means that booing her in Canada was right because I knew she was retiring too early, just like Dana said, and just like you guys are all seeing,” Julianna Pena quipped, after Amanda Nunes expressed strong interest in returning to the Octagon. Before any potential rematch, however, the Venezuelan must first defend her women’s bantamweight title against Kayla Harrison at UFC 316. But one thing is clear. Something is cooking in the women’s bantamweight division. A whole lot of fire!
At the UFC 316 pre-fight press conference, Dana White was asked if Amanda Nunes would consider an MMA comeback—and guess what? It was a resounding yes from ‘The Lioness’, who was stalking her prey from the crowd. The former two-division queen nodded toward White, sending shockwaves through the fight world. The Brazilian juggernaut retired in 2023 after a dominant win over Irene Aldana, but Julianna Pena’s relentless jabs outside the cage may have reignited the warrior within. Moreover, a dream bout against Kayla Harrison is as salivating as they come. And if that wasn’t enough, whispers of another UFC legend training for a return are growing louder. Are we witnessing the dawn of a double legend comeback?
Just a few days after the revelation, ‘The Lioness’ took to her social media handle to give her a glimpse of her training. In a video reshared by Uncrowned, we can see Nunes training alongside her partners. From the footage, it’s clear that ‘The Lioness’ is working on improving her grappling. The timing of this training montage is just considering the UFC 316 press conference confession. Well, in addition to that, guess who has back to the training camp after staying away from the MMA world due to motherhood? It was none other than UFC legend Ronda Rousey.
‘JFLO Judo’ took to their YouTube channel just three days ago to upload an 11-minute-long video featuring former women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey training alongside her partners. Coincidentally, the former champion was also seen working on her grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. However, this was not the first time that the 38-year-old shared a montage of her training.
The past month, ‘Rowdy’ took to her social media to upload a series of videos of her training. The former champion never really ascertained the reason for her training, but some fans have rumoured that there might be some comeback news. Amidst the chaos, let’s have a look at what the fans have to say!
Fans react as Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey drop comeback hints
Starting off, a social media user asked whether Nunes has enrolled herself in the testing pool, “Is she back in the testing pool is what I want to know.” It must be noted that fighters who took a prolonged hiatus from the fighting world have to enroll themselves in the UFC d–g testing pool and wait for six months before embracing the Octagon. Well, however, Nunes has yet to send her samples to the DFSI for testing.
Being the former dual-weight champion of the world, Nunes has always been fit despite her retirement. Looking at this, a fan wrote, “She been working out for a minute now, and she train at MMA science and she look sharp af!”According to ‘The Lioness’, she incorporates behavioral science in her training regimen. Interestingly, one of her coaches is a co-author of ‘MMA Science,’ a program that applies behavior analysis to mixed martial arts, emphasizing strategic and analytical approaches to training.
Furthermore, another fan added, “She’s always been training. She never stopped.” Are we going to witness a rematch between the biggest stars the bantamweight division has ever produced? Why? Well, that’s because both Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes have been training on the mats. Looking at this, a fan wrote, “So her and ronda are training again?? Interesting!”
For the unversed, Nunes and Rousey previously collided at UFC 207, which was the Judoka’s final MMA bout as she retired shortly after. This was also a comeback match after ‘Rowdy’ shockingly dropped her 135lbs crown to Holly Holm at UFC 193. However, Rousey faced the same result in her final dance as well. When it comes to Nunes, she retired from the UFC at the peak of her career after defeating Irene Aldana.
MMA: UFC 207-Nunes vs Rousey, December 30, 2016, Las Vegas, NV, USA Amanda Nunes reacts after her TKO victory against Ronda Rousey during UFC 207 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports, 30.12.2016 22:48:38, 9778725, Amanda Nunes, T-Mobile Arena, NPStrans, Ronda Rousey, MMA, TopPic PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 9778725
While many might see this as a movie-like ending for the former dual-weight champion, what most people don’t know is that ‘The Lioness’ had her knee absolutely demolished during her UFC career, and that was the real reason behind her retirement. “My legs have nerve damage from over the years. So, things are starting to get harder for me. My shoulders need rest, my knees,” said Nunes. Looking at this, a fan wrote, “Her knees are the question. She said she had long-term injuries when she retired.”
Last but not the least, a social media user added that the women’s bantamweight division needs some heat, “We All Know The Woman Division Is Dead We Need Her And Thug Rose.” With both Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey back in the training, does this mean that the UFC might witness their comeback? What are your thoughts on it? State your opinion in the comments below.
The post “Her and Ronda Are Training Again” – UFC Fans Go Wild as Amanda Nunes Starts Sparring After Ronda Rousey Creates Shockwaves appeared first on EssentiallySports.
