In the time after the Tate fight, Nunes went from solid contender and champion to superstar and the fighter considered to be the G.O.A.T. of women’s combat sports. Victories over Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie will do that for you.
Pena’s first bout after UFC 200 was a loss to Shevchenko. A win over Nicco Montano righted her ship, but she went off course in a defeat to de Randamie. But after beating Sara McMann in January of 2021, the Spokane native set her sights once more on Nunes, now a double-champ running out of interesting challengers.
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 277: Peña vs Nunes 2
Last December, Pena got the fight she was chasing after. And eight minutes and 26 seconds in, she got the belt, too.
