UFC 277 is coming this Saturday, bringing one of the most exciting and interesting rematches of 2022 as the main event. Newly crowned UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña will defend her title for the first time against former bantamweight and current women’s featherweight champ Amanda Nunes, following their last encounter at UFC 269 which resulted in one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. If you didn’t catch the action last time, read on to learn more about the history between these two fighters, and then be sure to sign up for ESPN+ and grab the UFC 277 PPV bundle deal so you don’t miss a thing this weekend.
Amanda “The Lioness” Nunes is one of those UFC stars who hardly needs an introduction. Widely considered to be the best female MMA fighter in the world, the 34 year-old Brazilian is the first woman to hold UFC championships in two divisions and is the first and only champ to have successfully defended and retained two titles while still holding them. Nunes currently holds a record of 21 wins and five losses, and remains the number one-ranked female bantamweight fighter.
One of those five losses on Nunes’ professional record came last December at UFC 269, where her 12-win streak came to an end against Julianna Peña. Fighting out of the U.S., Peña was the clear underdog headed into this fight, which served as the co-headliner on the UFC 269 main card. Nunes was clearly dominant in the first round, but Peña bounced back in the second round to catch The Lioness in a rear-naked choke hold for a submission victory.
This was one of the most astonishing upsets in UFC history, as few (least of all Nunes herself) expected the two-division champion to fall that night. Nonetheless, when the dust settled, it was Julianna Peña who was left standing as the new UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion. It’s no surprise that talks of a rematch began almost immediately, and the two will finally face each other again this Saturday. The pair has also been selected to serve as the head coaches for the 30th season of The Ultimate Fighter.
The Lioness is no doubt hungry to reclaim her throne, and Peña will be eager to show the world that her upset victory at UFC 269 wasn’t a fluke. To see how it all goes down, you’ll need to sign up for ESPN+ and grab the pay-per-view so you can watch the UFC 277 live stream online this weekend. The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday. New ESPN+ subscribers can also get a one-time $45 discount on an annual membership along with the UFC 277 PPV package.
