Tainara Lisboa believes that the absence of Amanda Nunes as the women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion in the UFC will create more opportunities for other fighters to win the belts, making the division more competitive and unpredictable.
The retirement of Amanda Nunes, the two-division queen of the UFC, has left the women’s bantamweight and featherweight divisions without champions. Tainara Lisboa, who is set to fight Ravena Oliveira at UFC Vegas 81, sees this as an opportunity to climb up the ranks more quickly. Lisboa, who is aiming to build on her previous win over Jessica-Rose Clark, believes that the bantamweight division has become stronger in Nunes’ absence.
Lisboa acknowledges that she still has a long way to go but believes that her journey to the top might be accelerated now that Nunes is no longer at the helm. She expects to see new faces holding the belt, with contenders such as Mayra Bueno Silva, Ketlen Vieira, Karol Rosa, or Norma Dumont potentially taking the crown. However, she doubts that anyone will be able to dominate as fiercely as Nunes did.
Originally scheduled to face Darya Zheleznyakova, Lisboa found herself matched against Oliveira instead. Having never heard of Oliveira before, Lisboa and her team quickly researched her and adjusted their training accordingly. Lisboa notes that both Zheleznyakova and Oliveira are primarily strikers, which allows her to maintain her original game plan.
With a focus on giving her best performance, Lisboa does not rely solely on game plans. She is prepared with multiple strategies in case the initial one doesn’t work, but her ultimate goal is always the same: victory.
In summary, Lisboa sees Nunes’ retirement as an opportunity for her own ascent in the bantamweight division. She expects to see a more dynamic and unpredictable title race, with new faces holding the belt. Lisboa remains confident in her abilities and is prepared to adapt her strategy to secure a victory in her upcoming fight against Oliveira.