Amanda Nunes “okay with it” if UFC shuts down women’s featherweight division

Amanda Nunes isn’t against the UFC cutting its long-struggling women’s featherweight division after Saturday night’s UFC 259 card.

Nunes currently holds the UFC women’s bantamweight and featherweight titles, and will attempt to defend the latter against Megan Anderson in one of three title fights on the UFC 259 bill.

While there are still some interesting challenges for her in the bantamweight division, the featherweight division is home to so few fighters that the UFC has never been able to create a top-15 ranking for the weight class.

The clear lack of depth at featherweight has led many pundits and fans to suggest that the UFC abandon the division, and from the sounds of it, Nunes would have no objections to that—even if it means she’s no longer a two-division champion.

What challenges remain for Amanda Nunes?@Amanda_Leoa discusses her future opponents including Clarissa Shields and Kayla Harrison with @AdamCatterall 🥊 pic.twitter.com/GjHRljKZWz

— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) March 4, 2021

“I feel like after this fight, the UFC should think about what they want to do with the division, because I have the belt, the belt is going to be mine forever,” Nunes told BT Sport. “This division has to retire with the belt being mine.

“So whatever they want to do after this fight, they can do with the division. I’m okay with it.”

Amanda Nunes won the UFC bantamweight title with a submission win over Miesha Tate in 2016. She won the featherweight title in 2018, when she knocked out the great Cris Cyborg in just 51 seconds. Other highlights of her incredible record—widely considered the best in women’s MMA history—include victories over current and former champions Ronda Rousey, Germaine de Randamie (twice), Holly Holm, and Valentina Shevchenko (twice), as well as solid foes like Felicia Spencer, Raquel Pennington and Sara McMann.

Do you think the UFC should close up the women’s featherweight division after Nunes fights Anderson at UFC 259 this weekend? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.