Getty Amanda Nunes is carried from the Octagon after her unanimous-decision win over Germaine de Ranamie during UFC 245.
The next opponent for UFC Women’s Bantamweight and Featherweight Champion Amanda “The Lioness” Nunes may be determined this weekend during UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo. On Saturday, February 29, four featherweight fighters will compete, and the competitor with the most impressive victory may earn the next shot at The Lioness’ belt.
Nunes last fought at UFC 245 in December, and it’s unclear if she will be defending her bantamweight or featherweight title next. She retained her bantamweight belt at UFC 245 when she defeated Germaine de Randamie by unanimous decision, marking the The Lioness’ fifth bantamweight title defense.
She won the featherweight title in December 2018 at UFC 232 when she knocked out Cris Cyborg, and she hasn’t fought in the division since. With four women’s featherweights battling on Saturday, the UFC may be seriously considering one of the four as Nunes’ next opponent.
During a post-fight interview after UFC 245, UFC president Dana White confirmed that it was a possibility that The Lioness could defend her featherweight title next.
On Twitter, Nunes hinted that this could be the direction she takes. She tweeted:
I’m very excited for the ufc card this week 👁👁 🦁
The tweet reads, “I’m very excited for the ufc card this week,” and she ended the tweet with the eyes and lion emoji.
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Four Female Featherweight Fighters Compete on February 29
Although there aren’t official rankings for the UFC women’s featherweight division, these four women are in the upper echelon of talent. Both fights will take place on the Main Card of UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo.
Megan Anderson will be taking on “The Immortal,” Norma Dumont Viana. Anderson defeated Zarah Fairn Dos Santos in her last fight, and she is 2-2 in the featherweight division. The Immortal has an undefeated record of 4-0, and she is making her UFC debut.
In the co-main event, Felicia “Feenom” Spencer is competing against Zarah “Infinite” Fairn dos Santos. Feenom is 7-1 in her MMA career and is coming off her first professional loss, which was at the hands of Cris Cyborg. Infinite is 6-3, and she lost her last fight to Megan Anderson.
It’s unclear which woman would potentially receive the title shot, and it may come down to who wins most impressively.
Amanda Nunes Is the Consensus Greatest Female Fighter of All Time
If one of the women above receives the next shot against The Lioness, they will be fighting the number one pound-for-pound female fighter in the world. Nunes hasn’t lost since September 2014 and has defeated some of the greatest female fighters ever to grace the Octagon.
The Lioness holds notable wins over former UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg, and former bantamweight champs Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm and Meisha Tate. She also has two wins over current UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko.
Nunes has yet to fight against any of the fighters competing this Saturday.
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