Amanda Nunes is best known for defeating Sarah McMann at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Night 73 in early August but her stock has been further bolstered when she was named as the next opponent for Miesha Tate.
Tate was, of course, originally set to be UFC Women's champion Ronda Rousey's next opponent. But a change of plans left Tate out of the mix after Rousey announced that she will be facing Holly Holm in 2016 instead.
The announcement comes as sort of a consolation for Tate, although it may be wise not to take Nunes for granted.
Nunes is 4–1 but in that record, glaring is the fact that she snagged those wins in just the first round. In a way, it sort of brings up how Rousey has been decimating her opponents, although Tate is the only one who has the distinction of lasting more than one round against Rousey.
Can Tate show the same toughness and last over the first round? Well that is something to keep a close eye on.
And while the result of that match could very well dictate whom Rousey faces next, Nunes seems to be bent on hopefully getting a crack at Rousey and her title. That is assuming, of course, that Rousey gets past Holm, which many believe will be the case.
Holm on the other hand is believed to be the best opponent for Rousey, a new face, rather than see a part three of the Rousey vs. Tate face-off. While Holm did not hide her surprise, she believes the move serves as a test on how good Rousey's latest move — a standup KO — will fare against someone like Holm.
Regardless, the result of both matches could very well dictate the next fight for the UFC as far as the women's division is concerned. If Rousey and Nunes come out with wins, they might likely be primed to face each other sometime in 2016.
