The bantamweight title is on the line at UFC 316 where Amanda Nunes will be watching very closely.
Nunes has already weighed in with her thoughts on the co-main event on June 7 which sees Julianna Pena look to defend the title against Kayla Harrison.
While some have expressed concerns about Nunes’ chances against either woman having not fought in over two years, ‘The Lioness’ has already confirmed that she’s returning regardless of who comes out on top in Newark.
The former two-weight champion opened up about the difficulties that she has faced since retiring with Nunes speaking about why she has made the decision to come back.
‘The Lioness’ recently clarified whether this means that she is back for good or whether this will lead to one last dance inside the Octagon.
Amanda Nunes tells the fans that she’s here to stay with return looming large over UFC 316
During fight week for UFC 316, Amanda Nunes took part in a Q&A session where she was asked about the long-term plans for her UFC return.
It’s clear that regardless of who wins on June 7, there is a clear narrative that the UFC can sell when bringing back the former champion.
However, some fans had raised the concern that if Nunes comes back and wins the belt before retiring again, it leaves the division in another difficult situation.
The Brazilian outlined during the Q&A that her return to the Octagon isn’t just one last roll of the dice to try and reclaim the belt in one more big fight.
Nunes stated that she’s back for good and doesn’t plan on walking away again until she can physically no longer compete at a high level.
“Actually, I’m ready to stay here, you know. Maybe I can take the belt back, I’m going to defend it for as long as possible. As long as my body can handle, I’m going to be here.”
Fans highlight Amanda Nunes’ remarkable physical shape during her UFC 316 fight week appearance
One thing that was immediately clear when Amanda Nunes stepped on to the stage at the UFC 316 fan Q&A was that she hasn’t lost her fighting shape.
If anything, ‘The Lioness’ appears even more muscular than before, which was highlighted by several posts on social media.
Fans weighed in with their thoughts, with one suggesting that the UFC should bring back the 145 pound division for the former featherweight champion.
‘I’d like to see featherweight back. There’s some good fighters coming up through @InvictaFights that are young, big, and talented.’
‘We need her back so bad’
