httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RR-lcXOhkY
The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion from Venice was summoned to Madison Square Garden on Friday night amid the electricity of the just-completed UFC 205 weigh-in to appear for a face-off with her Dec. 30 opponent at UFC 207, new champion Amanda Nunes of Brazil.
Nunes spoke of her excitement in getting “The fight I always wanted,” which will be at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
A day earlier, Nunes, who won the belt by first-round submission over Miesha Tate in July’s UFC 200 main event, said she anticipated delivering Rousey a second consecutive loss and expressed her disappointment with the post-Holm behavior.
Nunes said her own previous losses strengthened her, revealing weaknesses she’s sought to address.
Nunes takes her belt almost everyw she goes, and is intent to keep it through her first title defense after Holm turned it over to Tate in March, and Tate surrendered it to Nunes.
Tate, who has lost to Rousey twice, was upended in July by Nunes’ punches to the face that set up the finish by rear naked chokehold.
“It’s going to be a battle. Ronda Rousey is still Ronda Rousey. She’s going to be a hard opponent,” Nunes said.
It’s those martial arts principles that most bother Nunes about Rousey.
Nunes has brought happiness to the sport, particularly in her standing as the first openly gay champion in combat sports and her affection for her partner, fellow UFC fighter Nina Ansaroff.