Amanda Nunes Steamrolls Irene Aldana, Retires from UFC as GOAT

Timothy James

June 11, 2023

Amanda Nunes dominated Irene Aldana in the UFC 289 Main Event

We have seen “The Lioness” fight for the last time – but she goes out on top once again. Amanda Nunes worked Irene Aldana pillar-to-post, dominating the Mexican challenger in what was her final appearance in the UFC Octagon.

The Lioness DOMINATES all 5 rounds in this one 🦁 #UFC289 pic.twitter.com/7dEyFi5C3v

— UFC (@ufc) June 11, 2023

Nunes won the fight 50-44, 50-44, and 50-43 – with her only moment of weakness coming in the first round after Aldana landed a clean right hand. Other than that moment, it was all Nunes, who showcased why she is considered the greatest female fighter of all time.

#ANDSTILL THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME!@Amanda_Leoa goes out on top at #UFC289!

[ B2YB @Diablo ] pic.twitter.com/bJLipeSWOm

— UFC (@ufc) June 11, 2023

Amanda Nunes retires after beating Irene Aldana at UFC 289

When the dust settled after Bruce Buffer read the judge’s scorecards, Nunes asked the cutman to enter the Octagon to help her remove her gloves. She left her belts – both of them – in the center of the Octagon, announcing her retirement from MMA.

The greatest of all time!

Congratulations on an incredible career @Amanda_Leoa 👏 #UFC289 pic.twitter.com/dTNwgtcOOV

— UFC (@ufc) June 11, 2023

Nunes has held a UFC title since 2016 – with the only blip on her record since then being a loss against Julianna Peña at UFC 269 that many fans consider a fluke. Along with Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, and Henry Cejudo, she is one of the few fighters in UFC history to hold titles in multiple weight classes simultaneously.

Queen of the jungle 🏆🦁🏆@Amanda_Leoa exits the Octagon one final time. #UFC289 pic.twitter.com/HhLYnVyiAH

— UFC (@ufc) June 11, 2023

Nunes finishes her career with the most wins in UFC title fights for women with 11, the most title fight wins in UFC women’s bantamweight history with 8, and the most wins and finishes in UFC women’s history (16 and 10 respectively). With her defeat of Aldana, she also tied Anderson Silva’s UFC record for most title fight wins with 11.

The greatest of all time says goodbye 🏆🦁🏆@Amanda_Leoa announces her retirement after defending her bantamweight title at #UFC289 pic.twitter.com/3OXqGymhzM

— UFC (@ufc) June 11, 2023

It’s the end of an era in the UFC, with Nunes’ accomplishments unlikely to be replicated for a very long time. During the post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White stated that the UFC’s women’s featherweight division would likely be disbanded after Nunes’ victory.

Thank you for the memories, Amanda Nunes.