The UFC women’s bantamweight division, which was once dominated by Ronda Rousey, has seen a series of surprises rock the MMA landscape leading up to the historic 200th UFC in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on July 9th.
First it was Holly Holm who upset Rousey. Then, Holm was stopped by Miesha Tate. Now, at UFC 200 which will be headlined by the Nate Diaz-Conor McGregor re-match, Tate will defend her title against Brazilian Amanda Nunes.
Nunes, 27, has certainly paid her dues over the course of her eight-year career. She has had untimely injuries that stopped some top event matches for her in the Prime MMA and Strikeforce organizations. She is 4-1 in the UFC.
Now, she has found momentum by riding a four match winning streak which has garnered her a lucrative title shot at Miesha Tate (18-5) in the most high-profile match of her career.
“They (UFC) thought that Amanda was the next best girl in line,”
Miesha Tate agreed,
“Amanda is someone I have had my eye on for a while.”
The Salvador, Bahia native has come a long way from her debut which she lost to emerge into a well-seasoned competitor who holds black belts in Brazilian ji-jitsu and a Judo brown belt. She has absorbed the occasional defeat due to inexperience but now is primed and stands as a real threat to Tate’s title. The “Lioness of the Ring” may just emerge as the new champion.
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