Amanda Nunes was the latest high profile name to pull out of UFC 249. She joined UFC Lightweight Champions Khabib Nurmagomedov and Rose Namajunas in doing so. The aforementioned duo pulled out due to the coronavirus travel restrictions and losing family members because of the pandemic, respectively.

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‘Lioness’ reason indicated that she wanted a full camp. As per the wrestler, it would only be possible once the coronavirus passed. However, in a chat with Combate, her coach Conan Silveira revealed the truth behind the withdrawal. 

Amanda Nunes injured

“Amanda had a small ankle injury she preferred to stop and treat, rather than running because we were at that stage where we didn’t know what would happen. We didn’t know if it would be May 9, where it was going to be, we had several questions and few answers. In the training we were doing before we stopped, she got hurt and we didn’t want to force it. We prefer to stop and treat, for her to be ready, as she always has been, to return as soon as possible.”

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There is no official date for the match. However, based on the top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter’s comments on needing a month or so, we could see it in June or July. ‘Feenom’ wasn’t thrilled as she claims to have been training from the start of March when the fight was announced. She said to MMA Mania, “I can’t take a break right now because I’ll be fighting in June, probably. If she had no intention of fighting on May 9, I wish she would’ve said it sooner.” 

The Featherweight fight was to co-headline UFC 250 at Sao Paulo. However, due to the pandemic, it was moved to UFC 249. The UFC 250 main event also shifted to this card. Dominick Cruz replaced Jose Aldo for the men’s Bantamweight Championship showdown.

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Could ‘Lioness’ maiden featherweight title defense take place at Fight Island?

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Reubyn Coutinho

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Reubyn Coutinho is the Head of Fact-Checking Initiatives and Content Quality Lead at EssentiallySports, where he oversees editorial quality across multiple sports verticals. A Communication graduate, he’s spent over five years shaping the site’s evolution from a niche sports blog into an all-in-one news platform, mentoring more than 110 journalists, introducing data-driven article improvements, and developing editorial guidelines for global audiences. Across his career at ES, Reubyn has worked as a writer, editor, and senior editor, covering everything from UFC, WWE, and boxing to F1, NFL, NBA, and tennis. His bylines include exclusive interviews with former UFC champions Demetrious Johnson and Miesha Tate, as well as combat sports stars Marcus Almeida and Sage Northcutt. Known for his meticulous eye, he regularly resolves headline debates, revisits trending pieces using live analytics, and sets the standard for high-quality sports reporting. Outside of sports media, Reubyn is an active film critic, contributing reviews and festival coverage to Netflix Junkie, where he’s covered events such as MAMI, Venice, and NYAFF. Whether he’s breaking down a championship fight or a Hitchcock classic, his work comes with deep research with a pure love for sport.

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