LAS VEGAS – Amanda Nunes disagrees with the oddsmakers ahead of her title defense this weekend.
The UFC women’s featherweight and bantamweight champion sees challenger Megan Anderson as a difficult puzzle to figure out and is in no way underestimating her ahead of their co-main event clash at UFC 259 on Saturday (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ pay-per-view) at the UFC Apex.
Nunes (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC) is a heavy favorite, listed by some sportsbooks at -1000. Although Anderson (11-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) might not be given much of a chance, Nunes is respecting the challenge in front of her.
“Every fight is completely different,” Nunes told reporters at the UFC 259 press conference. “She has the reach advantage, she’s tall, she’s dangerous, and I feel like this is a huge thing for the game plan because she’s tall and long. That can be a little difficult to figure it out. But the first exchange, if I find my timing and everything, I will finish her.”
Nunes respects Anderson but also remains confident she’ll get the job done. The Brazilian likes the challenge presented and thinks it will bring the best out of her.
“Definitely I like to challenge myself, and that’s why I think MMA is my sport,” Nunes explained. “I’m challenging myself all the time, and this is the fight that’s going to challenge me and bring out the best of me.”
Nunes is currently on an 11-fight wining streak, with her last defeat in 2014. She’s considered by many to be the greatest female fighter of all time.
The American Top Team product has flirted with retirement in the past, and some wonder what is left for her to accomplish after UFC 259. However, retirement talk seems to be a thing of the past as Nunes, now the mother of a 5-month-old baby, said she doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
“I work and I need to continue defending my titles, both of them,” Nunes said. “I think that I need to keep working. I think that fight (with Cyborg) is just a memory now, and moving forward I have to see what happens in the weight class below to see who my next opponent will be and just continue fighting. Now with Raegan (Nunes’ daughter), I want her to be with me through these moments and continue to fight. And if life shows me something else, without a doubt I’ll jump on it.”
Amanda Nunes sees difficulty in Megan Anderson at UFC 259: ‘Every fight is completely different’
