Whereas the majority of UFC fighters seem willing and ready to compete during the global coronavirus pandemic, Amanda Nunes apparently isn’t one of them.
Nunes, the UFC women’s featherweight and bantamweight champion, is slated to defend her 145-pound title against Felicia Spencer on May 9 at a location to be determined, according to UFC president Dana White.
Not so fast, says Nunes.
“Actually, I’m not fighting May 9,” Nunes told CBS Sports on Monday. “I’m going to fight, (but) I don’t know yet. I don’t think this is the right time for me right now to fight. Let this coronavirus pass a little bit so I can at least have a full camp. We can maybe see around June, (but) let’s see what is going to happen. But I’m not fighting (May 9).”
As of this writing, the UFC has yet to respond to MMA Junkie’s request for comment.
The UFC was the final major sports organization to halt operations with the cancellation of UFC 249 and all future events indefinitely earlier this month. However, it was only a matter of days before White was back to insisting that an event featuring three title fights would happen May 9 at an unknown location.
Nunes (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC) and Spencer (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) were booked to co-headline UFC 250 on May 9 back in early March, before COVID-19 concerns caused the sports world to shut down. Since then, stay-at-home orders remain in place throughout states across the U.S. Nunes’ home gym, American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., remains open only to professional fighters preparing for bouts. The limits on whom she can train with and how she trains aren’t enough for Nunes to want to continue on.
However, Nunes is focused on still fighting Spencer and hopes to make it happen in June, assuming the UFC schedule is running.
“I like this matchup a lot,” Nunes said. “I like to fight girls like her – tough, want to fight all the time, she’s not a running fighter. She’s really going to bring that, and I love it. That brings out the best in me.”
Just not at the moment under less-than-ideal circumstances.
