Amanda Nunes thought she had a trilogy on her hands until a few weeks ago.
Nunes was set to defend her women’s bantamweight title in a rematch with Julianna Peña at UFC 289 next month until Peña pulled out with an injury. Instead, Irene Aldana (14-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) will step in to challenge Nunes (22-5 MMA, 15-2 UFC) for the 135-pound belt in the June 10 main event at Rogers Center in Vancouver.
Nunes was stunned by Peña with a second-round submission in their first fight at UFC 269 in December 2021. It is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. But Nunes, also the UFC’s women’s featherweight champion, avenged that loss in a big way when she dominated Peña to recapture the title at UFC 277.
