June 11, (THEWILL) – Amanda Nunes, considered one of the greatest female combat sports athletes of all time, solidified her legacy with an impressive unanimous decision victory over Irene Aldana, before declaring her retirement from the sport.
The eagerly awaited bantamweight championship bout took place at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada, on Sunday morning. From the opening bell, Nunes, nicknamed “The Lioness,” exhibited her dominance, overwhelming Aldana with a relentless barrage of strikes. In addition to her striking superiority, Nunes exhibited her ground game prowess, leaving Aldana with no escape.
The judges unanimously awarded Nunes the victory, with an emphatic scoreline of 50-44, 50-44, and 50-43. Following the monumental win, Nunes surprised fans during her post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “Double champion for life, double champion forever,” she exclaimed, hinting at her retirement. The 35-year-old fighter, who also holds the featherweight title, expressed her desire to step away from the octagon: “Tonight is the perfect night to retire and live happily forever.”
Nunes, with an impressive career record of 23 wins and 5 losses, leaves a lasting legacy in the MMA world, having defeated iconic fighters such as Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, Miesha Tate, Holly Holm, and Valentina Shevchenko (twice).
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
