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3 Years After Khabib Nurmagomedov Hung up His Gloves, Amanda Nunes’ Retirement Dubbed More Influential Than Undefeated Dagestani by UFC Legend

Published 06/22/2023, 11:25 AM EDT

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UFC Women’s Bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes made a mic-drop walkout moment happen as she defended her championship belt for one last time before announcing retirement – against Irene Aldana. The champion was originally supposed to face Julianna Pena but owing to an injury suffered by Pena during a fight, Aldana had to step in.

The match was a brutal one. Nunes really put on a show as she toyed with Aldana before successfully defending her title one last time. She put on a really dominant performance that cemented her as one of the greatest UFC Women’s champions to have ever done it. In fact, UFC Legend Chael Sonnen had a few things to say about Amanda Nunes and her retirement in his latest YouTube video.

A Legend’s Salute – Sonnen on why Amanda Nunes’ retirement was more consequential

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Chael Sonnen, a veteran of the sport, has always provided fans with a new perspective. Be it a particular match, a controversy, or anything related to UFC – Sonnen’s YouTube videos have always been really informative and helpful.

via Imago

The retired UFC fighter recently uploaded a YouTube video where he was seen discussing Amanda Nunes and her retirement, and why it was far bigger than the retirement of some of the biggest names in the sport.

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Speculating the reason behind her hanging up her boots Sonnen says, “You’re trying to weigh… does retirement… does Legacy – these things that matter, does it – from a financial standpoint do I have enough? If you’re in Amanda’s spot, I have a wife. I have a child. From what Amanda tells us, she would like… more, children. She’ll have enough – I don’t know… I don’t know. I just don’t know that part of her.

But I do know most retirements are really hard and most people that go out do it on top. And the ones that do go out and they do it on top – Lennox Lewis, Floyd Mayweather, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Georges St. Pierre… it’s really, really rare. And as rare as that is, when trying to factor in some of those to the equation for Amanda, you have to times it by two. I feel a lot of people forget that.” said Sonnen, showing his unwavering support for the former Women’s Bantamweight champion. 

Talking about Nunes’ achievements and all that she accomplished during her tenure with the promotion, Sonnen said, “Amanda walked away after defending her 135-pound championship and her number one contender – her next opponent, The Vixen (Julianna Pena), right there in the audience, ready to greet her.“, reminding the fans exactly why her retirement is bigger than Khabib Nurmagomedov retiring.

Amanda Nunes – UFC in the Rearview Mirror but still continuing the fight?

Nunes might have made a conscious decision about walking out of the UFC but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to compete or fight. In a recent interview, Nunes admitted to being open to moving to the WWE if the contract is to her liking. An athlete like Nunes is a prized possession for any promotion across all forms of combat sports.

via Imago

Another incentive for the WWE to scoop her up would be to line up matches against her former UFC rival, Ronda Rousey.

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Julianna Pena Credits Her Insecurities for Not “Taking My Clothes Off & Trying to Be a S*x Sells Type of Person”

As for Nunes, she has a few plans in motion. She has mentioned that she wants to spend more time with her family but definitely doesn’t plan on shutting the doors on the world of MMA. The Lioness said that she is interested in coaching and might even start her own promotion and gym, to train others like her to go on and become UFC champions.

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Written by:

Arghyadeep Ghosh

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Arghyadeep is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. His love for combat sports dates back to the WWF. Being a 90’s kid, he grew up fascinated by showmanship, competitive fighting, and wrestling.
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Edited by:

Anuj Jacob