VANCOUVER – Amanda Nunes scored a dominant decision victory over Irene Aldana to retain her bantamweight crown at UFC 289, before dancing with her daughter and retiring in the cage as the curtain came down on a stunning career.
The 35-year-old Brazilian laid her gloves between her bantamweight and featherweight belts on the octagon floor, bringing an end to a sensational run that saw her become the first woman to hold two UFC titles simultaneously and the first openly gay UFC champion.
“Double champion forever, baby!” roared Nunes, nicknamed “The Lioness”, as her gloves were being removed for the final time at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Saturday.
“Brazil, come get these belts! I’m leaving!” added a tearful Nunes, who exits with a 23-5 record.
Nunes was originally slated to fight Juliana Pena, who interrupted the Brazilian’s dominant bantamweight run with a surprise win in December 2021 before losing the rematch, but the American suffered a rib injury and had to withdraw.
Mexican Aldana was thrown into the fray as a replacement and she proved no match for Nunes, who outclassed her in every facet of the game en route to a unanimous decision (50-44 on two judges’ cards and 50-43 on the third) victory. Aldana fell to 14-7.
As the final moments of her career played out, the Brazilian enjoyed a dance with her daughter Raegan in the octagon before revealing that her civil partner Nina is pregnant with their second child, adding that family was the reason for her retirement.
“My mum was asking me so much to do this (retire) for so long, she can’t take it any more,” Nunes said.
“My partner as well, Nina, she’s been around so much with me my whole career… I decided right now I’m still young enough to enjoy everything that I made. I’ve got to travel, I want to be with my family.”
Nunes leaves with the most wins in UFC women’s history (16); the most UFC title fight wins among women in history (11, tied for the fourth-most in UFC history, regardless of gender, with Anderson Silva); and the most finishes in UFC women’s history (10).
Nunes submitted Miesha Tate in July 2016 to win the bantamweight belt for the first time, and she went on to sensationally knock out Cris Cyborg in 51 seconds to add the featherweight belt in December 2018.
“Congratulations on a legendary and incredible career. You are the GWOAT,” tweeted light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill of the United States.
Added middleweight fighter Derek Brunson: “The females in the weight classes Amanda Nunes retired from are popping bottles and celebrating right now.”
The co-main event saw lightweight Charles Oliveira, also of Brazil, take out United States’ Beneil Dariush by technical knockout at 4:10 of the first round. Oliveira, a former lightweight champion, ran his record to 34-9, while Dariush fell to 22-5-1.
Meanwhile, UFC star Conor McGregor sent National Basketball Association (NBA) team Miami Heat mascot Burnie to a local emergency room on Friday evening after an on-court incident during Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Miami, according to reports.