What’s next for the stars of UFC 277?
The UFC returned to the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas for UFC 277 which saw two titles on the line – although one was an interim belt.
In the main event, Amanda Nunes was looking to reclaim her bantamweight title against Julianna Pena as the two had an immediate rematch after Pena’s upset win back in December. In the co-main event, Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France had their rematch as this time they were fighting for the interim flyweight belt.
In the end, it was Nunes winning a dominant five-round decision to reclaim her belt in a fight that saw ‘The Lioness’ drop Pena multiple times. Moreno, meanwhile, scored a third-round TKO after landing a nasty body shot that dropped Kara-France. Now, after UFC 277, here is what I think should be next for the four fighters involved in the title fights.
Amanda Nunes
Amanda Nunes proved the first fight was a one-off and she was not herself as she said as he reclaimed her belt in a big way at UFC 277.
Throughout the fight, Nunes was dominant on the feet and her cardio lasted all five rounds as he was busting up Pena and even shot for takedowns to control her on the ground.
Although Nunes had moments to finish the fight, it was a dominant decision win and after the fight, she said she wanted to take some time off. When she returns, she will likely defend her bantamweight title against Ketlen Vieira who’s coming off wins over Holly Holm and Miesha Tate.
Julianna Pena
Julianna Pena’s time as a champion only lasted a few months but given she has the win over Amanda Nunes, she likely won’t need to do much to get the third fight.
At UFC 277, Pena was dominated from start to finish but did nearly have an armbar but Nunes fought out of it. Now, after the loss, Pena will likely need to take multiple months off as she had a nasty cut but when she returns, the logical fight is to face Holly Holm as the two have been booked in the past and taken shots at one another.
Brandon Moreno
Brandon Moreno is once again a UFC champion as he won the interim flyweight belt at UFC 277 by TKO on Saturday.
The fight between Moreno and Kai Kara-France was back-and-forth and a very exciting fight until Moreno landed the body kick that ended the fight. After the win, it is clear he will face Deiveson Figueiredo for the fourth time for the undisputed flyweight belt – most likely late this year or early next.
Kai Kara-France
Although Kai Kara-France lost at UFC 277, he still proved he is one of the best flyweights in the world and will only need a win or two to be right back in the title picture.
Kara-France will have a ton of options for his next fight but a logical next one is to face Alex Perez who’s coming off a submission loss to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 277. Perez is a former title challenger and would be a tough test for the Kiwi while the winner would likely be one win away from a title shot.
What do you think should be next for the stars of UFC 277?
Topics:
Amanda Nunes Brandon Moreno Julianna Pena Kai Kara-France UFC