UFC commentator and former two-division champion Daniel “DC” Cormier believes that another Pena vs Nunes fight is not the right move. Cormier specifically pointed out that, although Pena was able to defeat Amanda Nunes to earn the women’s bantamweight belt back at UFC 269, Nunes earned victory in the rematch.
The previous performance, despite being one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport, should not warrant Pena getting another shot at UFC gold. On DC & RC, Cormier discussed how Pena’s work has not warranted another Nunes vs Pena fight.
DC: Pena Hasn’t Earned Immediate Nunes Rematch
“The work hasn’t warranted an immediate rematch. Because if not, then every champion that loses gets an immediate rematch. It’s not like that. It just doesn’t work that way. Amanda got an immediate rematch, because she’s Amanda Nunes. Jose Aldo didn’t get an immediate rematch [against Conor McGregor], and he was the longest-reigning featherweight champion of all time.
Sometimes you’ve got to move on to get back. I think Julianna’s in that position. I don’t know if the work that she’s put on paper warrants [it]. Just because she survived in the last match, I think she might have lost every single round of that fight.”
Although immediate rematches for established, dethroned champions seems to be more in vogue in the UFC of late, Cormier argued that the queue to face Nunes is too long to justify holding it up any longer. Nunes looks unbeatable across the two divisions she currently rules, featherweight and bantamweight. Down at 125 pounds, Valentina Shevchenko looked invincible until a recent shaky performance – still a win – over Talia Santos.
“Who’s to say that if she [Nunes] fights Ketlen Vieira, who has put together a nice win streak, has beaten two former champions, how do we know that that doesn’t play out in that way?
We had no idea that the gal [Talia Santos] was gonna fight Valentina Shevchenko in the way that she did. We didn’t. So it’s like, you’ve got to give it to the next [person]. I just don’t think the work that she’s put on paper warrants an immediate rematch.”
Considering the dominance Nunes has showed over the years, and her position as arguably the greatest female fighter of all time, and the fact that Pena is the only fighter to defeat her since 2014, it’s easy to see the argument for a trilogy fight.
Do you agree with DC, or should Julianna Pena have another chance to settle the trilogy? Let us know in the comments.
