Amanda Nunes Plays Villain, Disses Holly Holm And Valentina Shevchenko
Amanda Nunes recently appeared on the UFC Unfiltered podcast after a bit of confusion on the part of show hosts Matt Serra and Jim Norton, who initially called a reporter named Amanda who worked for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
After getting that mess sorted out and the right Amanda Nunes on the phone, the new UFC Bantamweight Champion, who stopped Miesha Tate in one round at UFC 200, seemed confused as no one had warned her ahead of time the hosts would be calling.
After straightening that out, however, Nunes made time for the pair, starting off by sharing her thoughts on the Tate fight.
“Miesha is pretty tough, but I was ready for that fight,” Nunes said, adding that the biggest thing “was that I break Miesha mentally.”
Norton asked if getting bumped up to the main event of the UFC’s biggest show after Jon Jones failed a drug test and forced the cancellation of his rematch with Daniel Cormier created any extra pressure, but the champ took it in stride, stating that she was already “under a tremendous amount of pressure” having a title shot.
https://t.co/L8mnWjpQtX #JARVIS @TMZ #UFC
— Jarvis (@JarvisNewsApp) July 29, 2016
Not meaning any disrespect to Tate, Amanda Nunes did say the fight was “easy” and then she unleashed part of the cockiness that one might expect from a champion like Ronda Rousey.
Since the interview took place ahead of the Valentina Shevchenko and Holly Holm fight, Norton asked her if she had a preference for which opponent she faced. Not only did Amanda claim to not have a preference, she went so far as saying she could beat both women in the cage at the same time.
Shevchenko ended up defying Amanda Nunes’ expectations of a Holm victory, capturing a unanimous decision and setting herself up for a rematch with Nunes, but the champ may have someone else in mind.
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As the interview progressed, Amanda Nunes showed a great deal more enthusiasm for a Ronda Rousey fight, stating that a showdown with the former champ and the architect of women’s MMA would be “awesome.”
“We need to make that happen,” she said.
The only problem is that at present, no one knows if Rousey will come back to the octagon any time soon. Between her starring role in Roadhouse and her three-picture deal with Lifetime Movie Network (LMN), there has been some question as to whether Ronda can be in fighting shape for a 2016 return.
Holm famously ended Rousey’s unbeaten streak in November 2015 with a devastating second-round knockout.
Since that fight, the title has changed hands two more times, causing some to wonder if Amanda Nunes has what it takes to wear the strap for the long haul.
Rousey is pretty much the last person Nunes will have to beat to have gone through most of the division’s major contenders, though Julianna Pena is another fighter coming on strong, having dominated Cat Zingano in their UFC 200 scrap and scoring a unanimous decision victory.
“Love is love.” -Amanda Nunes, answering with the absolute common sense that the world sometimes lacks. Well done. pic.twitter.com/QLRaTHScc5
— John Morgan (@MMAjunkieJohn) July 29, 2016
But what do you think, readers? Will Amanda Nunes be the first women’s MMA fighter to successfully defend the UFC Bantamweight Championship since Rousey? And would you like to see a Ronda Rousey versus Amanda Nunes fight? Sound off in the comments section below.
[Image via UFC]
