“I don’t believe Ronda will ever be the same fighter. I think her time has come and gone. She knows she lost her momentum and that’s the problem. She was undefeated for a long time and now she can’t handle a loss. When I first started fighting, I lost right off the bat. It was like life telling to get back up and become a champion in the future. I know how to handle it. It’s bad, sure, and I don’t want to lose anymore, but it helped me evolve. Ronda never had that. She kept fighting inferior little girls who always fell for her game because there was pressure from the UFC, the belt and the press talking about Ronda, Ronda, Ronda all the time. That gets into an athlete’s head and girls were falling victim to her armbar. That won’t happen to me, though. I’m strong, psychologically. Really, really, strong. She knows that, and that’s why she’s avoiding me. She knows how powerful this is. I’m waiting for Ronda, it has to happen. My defense has to be historical. I want this fight to happen in New York, because it’ll be the first card there and I want to keep making history.”
-Amanda Nunes talks to Combate in Brazil about Ronda Rousey and why she’ll be different than anyone Rousey’s ever faced (translated by Lucas Rezende at BloodyElbow.com).
Penick’s Analysis: Rousey had so dominated eveyone she faced that everyone had bought into the narrative, not just her. Even now, seeing what Holly Holm has done since upsetting Rousey, it’s entirely possible Rousey wins that rematch decisively if and when it happens. Now, Nunes has shown herself to be a very, very good fighter in her own right, and what she did to Miesha Tate was damned impressive. That’s going to be a dangerous fight for Rousey in her return of she takes it, but Nunes will have a tough task on her hands in backing up her words.
[Photo (c) Mark J. Rebilas via USA Today Sports]
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Someone should tell her that all but one of her losses in her career where against opponents Ronda destroyed in literal seconds.