Megan Anderson plans to return to the drawing board after losing to Amanda Nunes in the UFC 259 event.
Anderson (11-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) named the fight as the biggest underdog so far for two-division champion Nunes (21-4 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in their women’s featherweight title at the UFC Apex on Saturday in Las Vegas. The result showed why “The Lioness” steamed her way to a victory in the first round.
It took Nunes just a few taps of the watch longer than two minutes to hurt Anderson with strikes, and then lock up an armrest on the ground to complete the task. It was certainly not the achievement the Aussie challenger had hoped for, but she promised to return stronger in her first comments on social media (after Twitter):
This game has the highest highs and the lowest lows. It was the one we wanted to win, but that’s the fight.
We are back
There are now legitimate questions about what the future holds for Anderson. The UFC allows her to challenge for the title over what was the final match of her UFC contract, and it is quite possible that it was the end of her tenure with the promotion.
Anderson has a record of six fights in the UFC women’s featherweight class, and little to no one remains about what fits. The division has been life-supporting since its inception in the UFC, and it remains to be seen how the UFC buyer handles it now that Nunes has emptied the queue of potential opponents.