The UFC started in the 1990s, but it wasn’t until the last decade that women began competing in the promotion. Since their entry, the women’s divisions have grown more competitive and intense, especially in Bantamweight, as fighters have continually improved. Meanwhile, talking about the 135-lb division, UFC veteran Chael Sonnen believes that there has never been a better time to hold the title in women’s Bantamweight than at this moment.
Sonnen is known for his iconic trash-talking in the UFC, and he never holds back when it comes to making waves with his unfiltered opinions. With Raquel Pennington now being the Bantamweight champion, he highlighted that the lack of big names like Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes has created opportunities for lower-ranked fighters—those sitting at 4th and 5th place—to vie for the title.
In his words, “Raquel is awesome. But it’s a good time to be a champion. Please hear me out on this. Ronda Rousey was the best who retired, Cyborg assigned with a different promotion, Kayla Harrison had yet to enter the class. Amanda rides off into the sunset. It seems like number 4 or 5 found a world title.”
There’s no denying that after Nunes retired and Pennington won the title, she faced criticism for her victory, as many found it unconvincing. Fans are used to seeing big names in the sport, so this is a significant shift. The division, which was once dominated by legends, now offers opportunities for everyone to step up. Meanwhile, it seems like Pena wants to bring Nunes back to the UFC.
Julianna Pena Believes Amanda Nunes Could Come Back to the UFC
Currently, Pena is gearing up to take on the reigning champion, Pennington, in an upcoming UFC 307. Ahead of that, Pena anticipates that Amanda Nunes won’t be absent from the fighting scene for long, given her irresistible competitive nature. Consequently, the former UFC champ believes that Nunes will once again return to the company after Pena becomes champ just to outclass her.
In her recent interview, she said, “I’m hoping Amanda will want to come out of retirement, and I’m betting she will be there, and she’ll be watching very intently. I don’t believe she is truly as done as she claims as she is. And I think that she misses the sport.”
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For those unfamiliar, Pena and Pennington have an intense rivalry that stands at 1-1. To establish who’s the superior fighter, a trilogy bout is necessary. The Venezuelan Vixen is confident that this fight will happen, but first, she must secure a title shot against Pennington in Salt Lake City.
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