LAS VEGAS (AP) – The UFC women’s bantamweight title hasn’t stayed anywhere for long ever since long-reigning champion Ronda Rousey lost it.
The belt had changed hands three times in just over seven months when Amanda Nunes got hold of it last year, but the ferocious Brazilian doesn’t intend to let it go.
Nunes makes her second title defense Saturday against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 213. The bout is the main event of International Fight Week, the UFC’s annual mixed martial arts showcase in its hometown.
Nunes (14-4) is in that July spotlight for the second straight year, and she welcomes the scrutiny of a title that essentially makes her the face of women’s MMA.
While she hasn’t reached Rousey’s level of fame, Nunes is headlining her third major pay-per-view show in a year, and she seems pleased with the resulting bulges in her paychecks. Nunes is moving up the list of the UFC’s most recognizable fighters, and she wants to justify the promotion’s trust in her to deliver a memorable bout – just as she did in December, when she brutally stopped Rousey in her first title defense.