Amanda Nunes Believes Julianna Pena Loss Was A Turning Point

MMA Legend Amanda Nunes (21-5 MMA, 14-2 UFC) believes that her defeat against Julianna Pena was the turning point in her career.

The Brazilian boxer is set to return to the octagon on July 30 in the main event of UFC 277. However, this time she will walk in as a challenger rather than the defending champion. She would try to regain the women’s bantamweight title she lost against Pena last December in UFC 269.

Ahead of the match, the 34-year-old seemed optimistic.

“It’s very exciting for me,” Nunes told reporters at UFC 277 media day on Wednesday. “I’ve been here before, so it’s not a surprise or anything like that. You make mistakes, and you pay, and I did. I lost my belt, but after that, I went back home and fixed what I had to fix. If I had to make some adjustments in movement, I did whatever I needed to do.

“I’m going to get that thing back. Losing the belt was never something that put me down or sad. It just kept me motivated and fired me up. I always needed that. I needed that kind of push. What Julianna brought was the challenge I needed. I was without a challenge for so long. Now, finally, I get in the position that I like to feel. I like to feel trapped. These are the moments I love the most.”