The UFC’s big return to Canada went down on Saturday, June 10th. UFC 289 was hosted by Vancouver, marking the first time the UFC held an event there since 2019. The main event featured a women’s bantamweight title bout between Brazil’s dominant champion Amanda Nunes and Mexico’s hungry challenger Irene Aldana.
Amanda Nunes came into the fight with a 22-5 record (15-2 UFC). Nunes’ last performance was a dominant victory in her rematch with Julianna Pena at UFC 277. Before her upset loss to Pena at UFC 269, Nunes had put together 12 straight wins. She won the women’s bantamweight championship and followed up with 3 title defenses before moving up and challenging Cris Cyborg for the featherweight championship. She became a double champ with a 51-second knockout over Cyborg and went on to defend both titles twice after that win. Nunes is considered by many to be the greatest female fighter of all time, but her time is short and she has acknowledged that in the lead-up to this fight.
Irene Aldana is on the opposite end of her career, with this being her first title shot and a chance at legacy. Aldana comes into the fight 14-6 (7-4 UFC), and while she might not have the experience of Nunes, she has a whole country behind her. Mexico’s recent rise in the UFC with champions Alexa Grasso, Brandon Moreno, and Yair Rodriguez who cleared a path for Aldana. Many feel that it is Mexico’s time for stardom, and are intrigued by the problems Aldana presents to the champion. Aldana’s last 3 wins come by KO, as she seems to always find the perfect shot to end the fight.
Amanda Nunes Defends in Dominant Fashion
The first round started slow, with Aldana feeling Nunes out while Nunes worked some shorter shots. Nunes outstruck Aldana 4-1 in the opening frame but was caught by a big shot late in the round. Nunes started to land some big counters in the second, but was met with some hard leg kicks. A late takedown in the second showed Nunes to be in much control of the fight. Nunes continued her dominance in the third round with some solid straight shots and a takedown halfway through the round. That takedown made Nunes the leader for all-time takedowns in women’s UFC history with 28. Nunes proceeded to take Aldana down three more times in the round, seemingly at will. The round with a massive flurry of knees and right hands by the champion.
Aldana seemed to have nothing for the champion at this point. Nunes turned up the heat in round 4, constantly tagging Aldana’s head, body, and legs. Aldana started to wear some real damage on her face, with both women exchanging hard shots as the round continued. Aldana landed a set of nice uppercuts followed by more Nunes hooks that put Aldana against the fence. The thought of a corner stoppage seemed like a possibility at the end of the round, but Aldana went out for round 5. She was immediately dragged right to her back by Nunes, where she was controlled and pounded on for the remainder of the round. Aldana did a good job of staying alive off her back, but that’s about all she could do. Well before the scorecards were read it was clear who the winner was.
Nunes was able to outland Aldana 196-57, with an advantage of 142-41 in terms of significant strikes. She finished with 6 takedowns on 13 attempts, along with 7 minutes of control time. The scorecards read 50-44, 50-44, and 50-43 in favor of the champion.
Per UFCStats.com
End of an Era
UFC 289 marked the end of a crucial era in MMA history. Amanda Nunes retired following her dominant victory, leaving many unsurprised as she had nothing left to prove in the sport. Amanda Nunes retired with double champ status and a 16-2 UFC record. She beat all the best women the UFC had to offer, from Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm to Cris Cyborg and Valentina Shevchenko. The retirement leaves a massive hole at 135 pounds, and could mark the end of the 145-pound division.
UFC Fighters React
Many UFC fighters had something to say following the retirement of Amanda Nunes:
What do you think the future of women’s bantamweight and featherweight looks like following Amanda Nunes’ retirement? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
