Amanda Nunes labels Irene Aldana a more dangerous opponent than Julianna Pena
UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes has discussed her return against Irene Aldana.
‘The Lioness’ has been out of the octagon for almost a year, last competing at UFC 277 in July. That bout was the Brazilian’s long-awaited rematch against Julianna Pena. In December 2021, ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ famously upset Nunes by second-round submission, ending her title reign.
However, in the rematch last year, she reclaimed the gold by a lopsided unanimous decision. Nunes and Pena were scheduled for their trilogy bout next month at UFC 289. However, due to injury, the challenger was forced to withdraw. Pena was later replaced by Irene Aldana, who will headline the short-notice title fight.
In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Amanda Nunes discussed the opponent change. There, ‘The Lioness’ opined that the fight against Aldana was more dangerous. The bantamweight champion cited the Mexican contender’s power and technique, as to why she is a tougher fighter than Pena.
“She’s a very talented girl,” Amanda Nunes stated in the interview. “She’s like, obviously, she was right in the corner to get an opportunity. I feel like she’s more technical as well, you know, more dangerous, knockout power, all those things. I feel like she has very good counterpunches, so I got to watch out for those moments. Also, the takedowns, she’s good in transitions, when she gets close to the floor.”
She continued, “Yeah, I feel like she’s a good opponent, she’s ready. She was training for five rounds right, so I feel like she’s ready to go, and like, I am too. So I feel like it’s going to be fun. We both have knockout power, I don’t feel like this fight is going to go far away. If it goes, I’m going to be ready for five, five-minute rounds for sure.”
What do you make of these comments? Are you excited about Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana?
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Amanda Nunes Irene Aldana Julianna Pena
