New UFC champ Amanda Nunes has her sights set on one woman

Reality is beginning to set in for the new UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes. Just over a year ago, Ronda Rousey ruled the division with an iron fist. But in less than twelve months, the title has changed hands on three different occasions. Nunes being the most recent to grab hold of the title when she dispatched of Miesha Tate by brutal knockout in the first round of their UFC 200 main event.

“I didn’t expect it to end in the first round but I did expect to finish the fight,” Nunes reflected in an interview with Yahoo’s SportsDash. “I’m happy it finished in the first round but I was surprised because Miesha Tate is very tough.”

Now that the smoke has cleared, Nunes can begin focusing on what’s to come. There has been much debate as to who should get the next shot at the title. Ronda Rousey was promised a title shot upon her return. However, there are two problems with this train of thought. One is that nobody knows exactly when Rousey will be back in the Octagon. The other is that the woman that beat Rousey (Holly Holm) was beat by Tate, who was subsequently dethroned by Nunes. Meanwhile, Julianna Pena has darted up the contention ladder and appears to be in the driver’s seat after defeating Cat Zingano at UFC 200.

But Nunes has her sights set on one woman.

“I expect Ronda Rousey,” Nunes said while also mentioning Holly Holm. But with all the turmoil in the division, she admittedly has no clue who she will be facing next. “I don’t know who exactly but I’ll be ready for it. I just can’t wait to get back in the cage.”

In the interim, Nunes will continue to train and celebrate her new title win with her girlfriend Nina Ansaroff. Along with becoming the new champion, Nunes is also recognized as the first openly gay titleholder in UFC history. It’s something that Nunes embraces and has discussed in numerous interview. But Ansaroff isn’t just Nunes’ significant other; she also serves as her training partner and currently competes in the UFC women’s strawweight division.

“Nina is an amazing partner and we do everything together,” Nunes said. “She cooks for me, takes care of me and we train together. She is one of the many training partners we have in the gym.”

Considering that they are both fighters, Nunes revealed that any disagreements between the two are settled in the gym. Because, how else should lovers who happen to both be fighters figure out who wins and loses in a quarrel?

“We argue a lot because we both have hard heads but we fix it all in the gym,” Nunes said about who could arguably be her toughest opponent in and out of the cage. “We punch each other in the face and kick each other’s ass.”