Most would agree defeating a UFC champ-champ would elevate a fighter’s status in the fight game, butGermaine de Randamie sees things differently.
The Dutch fighter, who’s set to challenge UFC women’s featherweight and bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes for her 135-pound belt at UFC 245, wouldn’t put herself in the greatest of all-time discussion if victorious against Nunes (18-4 MMA, 11-1 UFC) this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
If she manages to avenge her previously loss to Nunes and take down one of the hottest fighter in the game, de Randamie (9-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) insists she would see herself the same way she does now.
“Oh, hell no,” de Randamie said at the UFC 245 athlete panel on Wednesday at MGM Grand Resort & Casino. “No, no, no. I’m just Germaine and I’m nothing more than Germaine, that’s it. I have the outmost respect for Amanda, and without any doubt, I would be the last person to say so. She is the very best female fighter on the planet at this moment. And if I beat her I’d still be Germaine.”
Although de Randamie is a former UFC champion herself at 145 pounds, and has several notable victories in her career, the decorated kickboxer wouldn’t dare to call herself the GOAT if she were to dethrone the champ.
The 35-year-old competitor defeated Holly Holm to win the inaugural UFC women’s featherweight title back in February 2017 just to get stripped from the belt by the promotion a couple of months later. If victorious against Nunes, de Randamie would have no interest going back to the weight class where she first won UFC gold, at least not immediately.
“I’m a very light 145,” de Randamie said. “When I fought Holly, I stepped on the scale at 143 and I walk around maybe 148, 150. I believe there is so many challenges at 135 and at 145 there’s just no challenge. I think there are two girls, so I’ll just focus on 135. Let me defend that belt and be successful at that. And if I win (at 135 pounds), we’ll see after that.”
Does Germaine de Randamie belong in GOAT discussion if she beats Amanda Nunes? 'Hell no'