Amanda Nunes looking for title shot, hopes Rousey stays on shelf for now
Even if Holly Holm beats Miesha Tate at UFC 196, there's another fighter standing between Holm and a rematch with Ronda Rousey.
Amanda Nunes believes she's the best women's 135er that nobody is talking about. Her confidence stems from a 4-1 record in the UFC with all of her wins coming in the first round.
She faces Valentina Shevchenko on Saturday and if she wins she's hoping that the UFC will reconsider giving Rousey the next title shot.
"I hope Ronda doesn't return now," Nunes told MMA Fighting. "She has to recover first before thinking about coming back from the loss. She's not recovered yet. I hope she just relaxes and gives other fighters the opportunity they are fighting for a long time.
"I'm going after the belt since I was fighting at Strikeforce. I came close to the belt in a few occasions and lost, but this is my time now. After this fight, I'm fighting for the belt."
Nunes' lone UFC loss was to Cat Zingano, a competitive fight that was stopped in the third round when Zingano finished Nunes with ground-and-pound. The 27-year-old Brazilian rebounded with wins over Shayna Baszler and Sara McMann and is poised to challenge for the belt regardless of who holds it.
"Absolutely. I'm next," Nunes said. "No doubt about it."