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Amanda Nunes Dominates, Then Announces Retirement at UFC 289

Mark Jacobs 2023.06.14 2 min read

Amanda Nunes, the greatest women’s mixed martial artist in history, did it one more time defending her bantamweight championship with a lopsided decision over Irene Aldana and then telling the crowd she was calling it a career at UFC 289, Saturday. Fighting in Vancouver, Canada, the main event was little more than a sparring session for the champion as Aldana, a replacement for Julianna Pena, seemed content to just last the distance mounting little offense throughout.

Aldana kept her hands high and tight in a boxer’s peek-a-boo guard barely throwing anything over the first half of the fight as Nunes landed punches, kicks and elbows. She took Aldana down in the first and second rounds but never bothered to follow her to the ground.

Nunes finally decided to take it to the mat in the third wrestling Aldana down several times and controlling her for a long stretch. Aldana was marginally more active over the last 2 rounds but it only allowed Nunes to hit her with some harder shots in the fourth, then take her down and control her for almost the whole of the fifth round.

After the decision was announced, Nunes laid her bantamweight and featherweight championship belts and her gloves down in the middle of the octagon as she announced her retirement from the sport. If she stays retired, she’ll finish with a career record of 23-5 and as the only woman to have captured UFC titles in two weight classes. She holds wins over some of the greatest female fighters ever including Cris Cyborg, Ronda Rousey and twice over Valentina Shevchenko.

Mixed martial arts, Ufc

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