Nunes passes Shevchenko to become UFC pound-for-pound queen again

DALLAS, TX - JULY 30: Amanda Nunes battles Julianna Peña in their Women Bantamweight bout during the UFC 277 event at American Airlines Center on July 30, 2022, in Dallas, Texas, United States.

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Amanda Nunes is once again on top of the women's side of the UFC.

Nunes moved into the No. 1 position of the women's pound-for-pound rankings Tuesday, jumping ahead of Valentina Shevchenko after beating Julianna Pena at UFC 277.

Rankings Update:

Amanda Nunes reclaims her spot as the #1 women's pound-for-pound fighter, Sergei Pavlovich enters the heavyweight top-5, Alexandre Pantoja now ranked right behind champs Figueiredo and Moreno, Ankalaev ranked #3 at light heavyweight. pic.twitter.com/eIojzgVMCh
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) August 2, 2022

Nunes was the pound-for-pound queen for years but dropped to No. 2 - with Shevchenko taking the top spot - last December when Pena beat her to capture the women's bantamweight title in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.

"The Lioness," who still held the women's featherweight belt after losing to Pena, was awarded an immediate rematch because she had reigned over the bantamweight division since 2016. She shut out Pena on the scorecards Saturday in Dallas, restoring her status as a two-division titleholder and cementing herself as the greatest women's fighter of all time.