Getty A victory by Amanda Nunes at UFC 245 could line up a potential superfight.
Already the hottest commodity in women’s MMA, Amanda Nunes seems to be taking the next step in becoming a transcendent star beyond the octagon. With both fans and promoters clamoring for a superfight between Nunes and boxing superstar Claressa Shields, a win over Germaine de Randamie at UFC 245 opens up the door for Nunes to realistically explore those types of options.
Owner of both the UFC’s bantamweight and featherweight belts, Nunes is the first (and only) women’s “champ-champ” in UFC history. Riding a nine-fight win streak with six of the wins coming via a first-round finish, Nunes is often able to overwhelm her opponents using her incredible strength advantage. Regarded to be as strong as some of the male featherweight fighters, Nunes is known for her brutal punching power and vicious throws.
UFC 245 takes place Saturday, December 14 at 10 p.m. ET in Las Vegas. It will air as a pay-per-view on ESPN+.
Amanda Nunes’ Performance at UFC 245 Could set up an Epic Superfight with Claressa Shields
Nunes and Shields have traded barbs over the internet for some time with Shields repeatedly telling TMZ how she would love to fight Nunes and would “put her to sleep”. While UFC president Dana White seems to be interested and Shields’ promoter is undoubtedly on board, Nunes and Shields both need to take care of business first. Shields is going for a belt in her third weight class in January while Nunes squares off with Randamie at UFC 245.
In order to set up a potential superfight, Nunes doesn’t just need to win, she needs to win in convincing fashion. With a win over Randamie already under her belt, Nunes likely needs an emphatic win to convince Dana White to try and make the fight happen. A loss or close-fought win leaves the door open to handling unfinished business in-house. On the flip side, a dominant win helps make a stronger case that Nunes has all but cleared out both the women’s bantamweight and featherweight divisions.
While other massive MMA/Boxing superfights have occurred throughout the years, a meeting between Nunes and Shields in the midst of their primes would undoubtedly go down as the biggest matchup in female combat sports history.
Other Notable MMA/Boxing Crossover Fights
Speaking of other MMA/Boxing crossover fights, a number of the UFC’s biggest stars have taken part in one way or another. Most notably, the original “champ-champ”, Conor McGregor took on Floyd Mayweather in a surprisingly exciting matchup. The superfight would clock in as the second biggest PPV fight ever, trailing only 2015’s Mayweather vs. Pacquiao showdown.
While McGregor fought Mayweather in a boxing match, former heavyweight boxing champion James Toney took his talents into the octagon to face Randy Couture in 2010. Couture made quick work of Toney, easily taking him down before quickly submitting the former boxing champion.
Among active fighters, big names like Nick Diaz, Donald Cerrone, and Vitor Belfort have all dabbled in the realm of boxing with varied success. Perhaps the best crossover fighter is none other than Nunes’ last opponent, Holly Holm. Formerly a world champion boxer, Holm transitioned to the UFC where she promptly knocked out Ronda Rousey and carved out a role as one of the most dangerous fighters in the sport.
UFC 245 airs December 14 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+. You can order it here.
Amanda Nunes’ Most Dominant UFC Wins
Nunes needs another win at UFC 245 to set up her possible superfight but she’s already posted one of the most impressive resumes in the history of the sport so far. Nunes first fought for UFC gold – and won – against Meisha Tate, a pioneer of the women’s UFC divisions. Nunes would follow up her emphatic first-round finish of Tate with arguably her biggest win against Ronda Rousey in her highly anticipated return to the octagon.
Nunes spoiled Rousey’s big night with a massive first-round knockout and sent a message to the UFC about the changing guard at the top of the women’s division.
Nunes took part in another massive UFC superfight when she took on the longtime boogeyman of women’s MMA, Cris Cyborg. Cyborg hadn’t lost a fight in nearly 13 years heading into the matchup and was widely considered the most dangerous woman in the sport – even considering Nunes’ stellar track record. As has become the theme in her career, Nunes made quick work of the MMA legend and sent Cyborg crashing to the canvas after a frantic opening to the fight that saw both women unload on one another.
Claressa Shields’ Incredible Boxing Career
As much of a household name as Nunes has become fighting for the UFC, there isn’t any question that Claressa Shields is the far more decorated fighter. Owning an amateur record of 77-1 highlighted by a pair of golds in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and Boxing World Championships, Shields was already one of the most highly decorated fighters before turning pro.
Since making her professional debut, all she has done is rack up a perfect 9-0 record along with winning titles in two different weight classes. Shields squares off with Ivana Habazin on January 10th to try and secure a belt from a third weight class in her first 10 fights. No other fighter, male or female, has accomplished this feat. In fact, the quickest anyone has ever accomplished winning a belt in three weight classes in 12 fights, held by current pound-for-pound darling Vasyl Lomachenko.
Amanda Nunes Among 6 Current and Former Champions at UFC 245
While Nunes is one of the more accomplished fighters on the card, she is far from the only current or former champion doing battle at UFC 245. A whopping six current or former titleholders are set to fight at 245. Current welterweight champion Kamaru Usman takes on former interim champion Colby Covington. Max Holloway, who recently made an attempt to join the illustrious “champ champ” club, as is former pound-for-pound king Jose Aldo.
Nunes and Randamie round things out as Randamie once held the UFC’s interim featherweight belt – before being stripped of the title due to her unwillingness to fight Cris Cyborg.
In fact, the card is so loaded with talent that Amanda Nunes’ epic rematch with Germaine de Randamie isn’t listed as either the event’s co-main or main event.
UFC 245 airs December 14 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+. You can order it here.