If this is truly it for the UFC women’s featherweight division,
there is no question whose house it was.
On March 9, in the co-main event of UFC 259, two-division champ Amanda Nunes overwhelmed Megan Anderson, dropping her with punches, then following her to the ground and locking up a beautiful reverse triangle armbar. The challenger was forced to ask out of the fight after barely two minutes, giving the “Lioness” a record-tying second defense of the 145-pound title.
In the aftermath, Anderson claimed that the Ultimate Fighting Championship planned to close
down the women’s featherweight division. While the promotion was
quick to dispute that claim, the fact remains that the division
barely exists as it is. Of the fewer than ten women who have
competed at 145 pounds in the UFC during Nunes’ reign, almost all
have also competed at bantamweight, and it is entirely possible
that the 6-foot tall Anderson is the only one who could not do so.
If Nunes retires or goes on hiatus in order to spend more time with
her newborn daughter in the next year or two, her 135-pound title
will be the subject of fierce competition, but for the
featherweight division, it might feel a bit like pulling the
plug.
Here is the history of the UFC women’s featherweight title and the times it was won, lost or defended. It tells the story of two of the most dominant fighters in the history of the sport, and a division that often struggled to supply them with suitable challenges.
On March 9, in the co-main event of UFC 259, two-division champ Amanda Nunes overwhelmed Megan Anderson, dropping her with punches, then following her to the ground and locking up a beautiful reverse triangle armbar. The challenger was forced to ask out of the fight after barely two minutes, giving the “Lioness” a record-tying second defense of the 145-pound title.
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Here is the history of the UFC women’s featherweight title and the times it was won, lost or defended. It tells the story of two of the most dominant fighters in the history of the sport, and a division that often struggled to supply them with suitable challenges.
Ben
Duffy/Sherdog.com illustration
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