Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana Set as UFC 289 Main Event, Julianna Peña Withdraws Due to Injury

Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana Set as UFC 289 Main Event, Julianna Peña Withdraws Due to Injury

On Tuesday, UFC President Dana White announced a new challenger for Amanda Nunes in UFC 289.

Originally, Julianna Peña was set to face Nunes in a bantamweight championship trilogy bout in Vancouver, Canada, on June 10, but had to withdraw due to a rib injury. Irene Aldana will now step in as the replacement.

Nunes and Peña were scheduled to fight for the third time, with Peña winning via submission at UFC 269, and Nunes avenging that loss and regaining her title at UFC 277. Nunes has defended the bantamweight title five times and currently holds the UFC featherweight championship.

Aldana was scheduled for a rematch against Raquel Pennington on May 20, which could have decided the No. 1 contender. However, Aldana now moves directly into a championship opportunity. She has won two straight fights and four of her past five, although she has not fought at 135 pounds in either of her past two contests. Aldana won a scheduled 140-pound catchweight fight against Macy Chiasson in September 2022 with a spectacular upkick to the body knockout, and prior to that, she scored a first-round TKO of Yana Santos after missing weight by more than three pounds.

It is not yet known if Pennington will receive a new opponent for May 20. UFC 289 is scheduled to take place at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada, with former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira fighting Beneil Dariush in the co-main event.

 

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