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The anticipated Amanda Nunes-Irene Aldana matchup for the women's bantamweight championship at UFC 285 appears to be off the table. The UFC intended to schedule the pair's 135-pound title fight at the forthcoming UFC 285 pay-per-view program.
But, following the latest Combate article, the UFC failed to secure that match. The top-ranked women's bantamweights simply don't agree on who their future opponents should be.
Raphael Marinho further stated in the most recent Combate edition that although Julianna Pena seems to have been persistent on having her trilogy match versus Nunes, "The Lioness" is hesitant to give "The Venezuelan Vixen" one more opportunity to defend her championship.
The writer also claimed that the UFC attempted to schedule a matchup between Aldana and Pena to prepare for Amanda Nunes' championship defense. Pena, however, refuses to engage in combat until there is gold at stake. Irene Aldana's challengers are being sought by the organization whereas Nunes is resolute about her demands.
Finding a new opponent for the Brazilian superstar to prove herself against has turned out to be difficult due to Nunes' dominance during her reigns as the featherweight and bantamweight champion. Aldana would have been a strong contender as she currently ranks at #5. She might need to wait a little longer before receiving the go-ahead, though.
In her most recent title defense, Amanda Nunes defeated Julianna Pena by a unanimous decision at UFC 277 to recapture the women's bantamweight crown. The victory was notable since it marked the second time in her tenure that she won titles in two divisions simultaneously.
Aldana is currently unbeaten in two fights, both of which ended in TKO victories. It is unknown how UFC will proceed with planning out the title picture. On March 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, UFC 285 will take place. In the main event, Jon Jones will compete for the title against Ciryl Gane in the octagon for the first time in a very long time. In addition, Valentina Shevchenko shall face Alexa Grasso to challenge her women's flyweight title.