Amanda Nunes’ vacated the UFC women’s featherweight and bantamweight titles and walked away from the sport, leaving a huge void in women’s MMA.
And though that may be perceived as a bad thing, given the absence of a historical figure, to others it’s a positive.
Ailin Perez, who aspires to become UFC champion, believes Nunes’ retirement is a good thing for the division.
“From a technical standpoint, it’s positive because she’s a beast, and she’s the best in every aspect,” Perez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “As far as a moral or sentimental standpoint, I fight against anyone. If I had to fight against her, I’d give her a fight, regardless of the result. That’s in my blood. That runs inside of me. That’s what I feel.
“Her retirement doesn’t change my desire to fight the champion and win that title. I’ve gone through many difficult things in all camps, I know what I want, and I’m working hard for it.”
Perez (7-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) returns to the octagon Saturday on the preliminary card of UFC on ESPN 49 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The Argentine fighter takes on Ashlee Evans-Smith (6-5 MMA, 3-5 UFC) in a women’s bantamweight bout.
Perez knows there’s work to be done to enter title contention, but she’s hoping Saturday will be a good step toward her goal of becoming champion, especially now that Nunes is gone.
“There’s a lot of hope,” Perez said. “There’s a lot of hope for everyone. We all have an opportunity now. You just need to do things well, train and be more focused. Amanda did it, and so can we.”
Nunes announced her retirement after she defended the bantamweight her title against Irene Aldana in the main event of UFC 289 in June. Many thought she had plenty more to give, but she walked away as champion and the best female fighter in the sport.
Despite her standing, Perez wasn’t surprised to see Nunes retire from MMA. She believes her legacy is complete and there’s nothing else to prove for Nunes.
“She already showed us who is the best of all time in women’s MMA history,” Perez said. “She also had proved it against Valentina Shevchenko, who was the champion at flyweight.
“No, I wasn’t surprised because she had a perfect career. I wasn’t surprised at all. I’m happy for who she is, but I’m also not moved a ton by it. She left the company, the title is now vacant, and we’re all hungry to be champion. And a message for all the girls in my division: ‘This July 15, you’re going to truly get to know me and this victory will put me one step closer to the title.’”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.
