Amanda Nunes isn’t closing the door on a possible comeback after retiring and relinquishing her two UFC titles this previous June.
As she sat only a few ft away from the octagon at UFC 297 and watched Raquel Pennington be topped the brand new bantamweight champion in her absence, the consensus best girls’s fighter in UFC historical past wasn’t upset, however she was nonetheless a bit conflicted. When she surrendered that belt, Nunes was undeniably the highest fighter at 135 and 145 kilos within the UFC, however she was additionally prepared for a break as she ready to welcome a second baby to her household.
Now seven months faraway from that night time, Nunes doesn’t remorse her determination, however it seems preventing is unquestionably nonetheless on her thoughts.
“I used to be nervous [watching the title fight],” Nunes mentioned on the UFC 297 post-fight present. “I don’t know why, however I used to be very nervous. It was combined emotions. I used to be pleased and unhappy. Once I noticed ‘Rocky’ with the belt, I used to be OK. I wasn’t upset or something like that.
“I believe I did the precise determination retiring, resting a bit bit. Taking good care of the infants. Can’t go away Nina [Nunes] with two infants by herself. So I’ve been having fun with it, too. My complete life was preventing associated, so I used to be not likely in a position to take pleasure in my 20s. My 20s handed like that. I’m 35 now, and now I’m ready to return to Brazil, keep a bit bit with my family and friends, and revel in and see what occurs.”
The prolonged hiatus from preventing has allowed Nunes to focus one thing aside from the fixed grind of coaching camps and preparing for title defenses. That being mentioned, she is aware of she nonetheless has rather a lot left within the tank, and it’s onerous to disclaim these instincts when she’s nonetheless a fighter at coronary heart.
“I’m nonetheless younger, recent,” Nunes mentioned. “We by no means know [what might happen]. We’ve quite a lot of issues to do. I’ve obtained to determine a bunch of issues at dwelling nonetheless, what I’m going to do and see what occurs.”
Nunes isn’t able to declare a comeback, however it actually seems that she was not less than considering that transfer after witnessing her title wrapped round another person’s waist.
From the sound of issues, Nunes has rather a lot to consider within the coming months, and it’s totally doable the top of that street leads her again to the UFC.
“I don’t know — we by no means know,” Nunes mentioned. “I’m a fighter and that is my job. I like this a lot, and I don’t know. I take pleasure in as nicely not being within the fitness center on a regular basis and having a traditional life, keep dwelling a bit bit and be lazy. I [can’t be] lazy as a fighter, it’s very onerous.
“However I’m nonetheless wholesome and highly effective, good, suppose like a champion. I nonetheless really feel like a champion, so we’ll see.”
Nunes retired with a exceptional 23-5 file in her profession, together with reigns as each the bantamweight and featherweight champions within the UFC. She’s additionally the one fighter in UFC historical past to carry wins over each single champion to ever maintain the belt at each 135 and 145 kilos — together with a lopsided victory over Pennington in 2018.
