Megan Anderson plans to return to the drawing board after a hit loss to Amanda Nunes in the UFC 259 co-main event.
Anderson (11-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) entered the fight as the biggest underdog to date for second-class champion Nunes (21-4 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in their women’s featherweight title bout at Saturday’s UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The outcome showed why when “The Lioness” pushed his way to victory in the first round.
It took Nunes just a few ticks of the clock over two minutes to hurt Anderson with strikes, then close an armbar on the ground to get the job done. It certainly wasn’t the achievement the Australian challenger was hoping for, but she vowed to come back stronger in her initial comments after losing on social media (via Twitter
This game has the highest highs and the lowest lows. This was the one we wanted to win, but it’s the fighting game.
We come back
There are now legitimate questions about what the future holds for Anderson. The UFC allowed her to fight for the title in what was the last match of her UFC contract, and it is quite possible that this marked the end of her tenure with the promotion.
Anderson has fought a record six fights in the women’s featherweight class of the UFC, and there is little to no one left in terms of new matchups. The division has had life support in the UFC since its inception, and it remains to be seen how the UFC buyer copes with it now that Nunes has cleared the line of potential opponents.