UFC champion Amanda Nunes could switch up her style again when she faces Irene Aldana this Saturday.
Nunes, 35, surprised fans by fighting in a southpaw stance for the entirety of her rematch against Julianna Pena last July. 'The Lioness' dominated Pena to win back her women's bantamweight title having lost it to her rival in a shocking upset the year prior. Nunes admitted that she could surprise fans again with something new against top contender Aldana in Vancouver, Canada.
"I always wait for the last minute to decide to do things," Nunes told Mirror Fighting. "My mind is crazy and I always bring something the day of the fight, so I'm excited for you guys to see what I'm going to bring. Obviously, I always think about something new but we never know until the fight starts, so I'm excited about that."
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"I do think I can see a lot of holes in her [Aldana's] game, even in her striking as well. I am going to capitalise and make her miss, then wait for the best moment to finish her at any time. On the feet or on the floor, I do think that I have the big advantage in this fight for sure."
Nunes was originally set to meet Pena in a trilogy fight at the Rogers Arena, but the latter withdrew from the title clash last month due to a rib injury. 'The Lioness' is still open to a third fight against Pena but it wouldn't be an opportunity she is chasing after decisively winning their rematch.
"It's always awesome to fight someone new," she added. "Doing a camp for somebody that you have never fought before is exciting. I was ready to fight either, Julianna or Aldana. I knew it was likely going to be Aldana this time, I was thinking it was going to be here and I was training a bit for here too."
Nunes has been impressed with Aldana's recent wins, but she doesn't think the Mexican is the best striker she has faced in the cage. "I think the best striker I've fought was Germaine De Randamie," Nunes admitted. "I definitely think Aldana definitely has good boxing and she can use her reach pretty well. It's a challenge that I like and I'm going to be ready for it."