UFC 269 will go down as one of the most memorable cards in history. Charles Oliveira submitted Dustin Poirier to retain the lightweight title, and the co-main event was none other than Amanda Nunes and Julianna Peña.
Nunes is one of the most decorated fighters in the sport. The Brazilian was looking for her sixth successful bantamweight title defense while simultaneously carrying the featherweight belt. Peña was clearly the underdog coming into the bout, but her resume was nothing to scoff at. She holds victories over Cat Zingano, Sara McMann, and Nicco Montaño, and “The Venezuelan Vixen” was looking to turn the fighting world upside down.
Either way the cards fell, the T-Mobile Arena was in for a historic night.
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Nunes started the action with a calf kick to Peña’s left leg that sent her to the canvas early on. Though it was subtle, the energy in the room coincided with the idea that this was the way it was supposed to go. Nunes had a substantial power advantage and Peña basically needed to fight a perfect fight in order to take home the gold. A jab sent Peña to the canvas, but the Brazilian was patient, not underestimating her opponent. The Ultimate Fighter alum moved the fight to the floor and she quickly recovered from a vulnerable position, but Nunes got to her neck. Peña was moving to stay alive, though, so the champion couldn’t secure the choke.
We were finally seeing Pena’s game plan to make Nunes grapple, make her transition, then maybe she will fatigue doing something she’s not familiar with. A brutal exchange on the ground put Nunes in a kimura that left her arm in danger. For the first time in a while, concern fell to Nunes’ face.