Did UFC 297 prime the ‘Lioness’ for a comeback?

After announcing her retirement following a successful defense against Irene Aldana this past July, it appeared as though ex-UFC champion Amanda Nunes was content. Not only did she win and defend two championships, she also cemented herself as one of the greatest of all time throughout her UFC career. As for her post-fighting career, Nunes admitted she wanted to remain close to mixed martial arts, setting her sights on starting her own team.

“I love this sport,” said Nunes in an interview with Combate. ”I’ve got my gym, I’ve got some girls over there. I’d love to help out. I have so much to offer. I’m a double champion, I know a lot of stuff. I can make another fighter become a champion. I know all about this game. The mental aspect, how to be a good at it, how to develop a strategy. My team and I really understand this. We’re building a strong team in the future.”

However, after sitting Octagon-side for Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC 297 — a fight that would usher in a new champion after her retirement — Nunes is starting to feel the itch to compete again.

Amanda Nunes won’t rule out UFC return

After watching Pennington vs. Bueno Silva, Amanda Nunes gave her thoughts on seeing someone else with one of her former championships. A longtime friend of Pennington, the ‘Lioness’ admitted she was a little sad to see the title changing hands without being in the cage to compete for it, but she was also happy to see ‘Rocky’ win the belt.

When asked about a potential UFC return on the UFC 297 post-fight show, however, the former champ had this to say.

“I don’t know — we never know,” said Nunes (transcript via Damon Martin of MMA Fighting). “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.”

Julianna Pena craps on UFC 297 title fight

While one former champion had nothing but respect for Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC 297, another was not impressed. During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Julianna Pena went off on the fight, saying that there was ‘literally’ no winner.

“It was a snooze fest. I was not impressed. Not impressed with their performance, as my friend Georges St-Pierre likes to say,” Peña explained (transcript via Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting). “Nobody won. The fans lost. Literally, there was no winner.”

After missing out on her second UFC championship opportunity due to injury, Pena staked claim to whoever was holding the title when she was ready to return. Now that she has her answer in Pennington, the ‘Venezuelan Vixen’ looks forward to being the one to dethrone the newly minted champion.

“She just doesn’t get that fire lit underneath her butt,” Peña added later, speaking of Pennington. “She doesn’t have that eye of the tiger, that shark that smells blood in the water. She’s not a killer. She’s doesn’t have that killer instinct. But I know somebody that does — and her name is Juliana ‘The Venezuelan Vixen,’ the Peña power.”

For her side, Pennington appears receptive to Pena as her first challenger, especially since they have a history after their time together on Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter. Whether the UFC goes in that direction remains to be seen, but if both parties are ready, Pennington vs. Pena could be the next fight to make.

Bloody Elbow merch available

Bloody Elbow is pleased to announce our partnership with Revgear. They have been a pioneer in the MMA gear industry and have grown into a formidable brand and true leader in the market. Revgear now have Bloody Elbow t-shirts, hoodies and hats so you can show your support for independent MMA journalism.

Kristen King

Kristen King is a writer for Bloody Elbow. She has covered combat sports since 2016, getting her start with outlets such as FanSided, MyMMANews and MMA-Prospects. She joined the BE team in 2020, covering a mix of news, events and injuries. In her time with BE, Kristen has created ‘Fright of the Night,’ a series that highlights some of the worst injuries in the sport.

More from the author