Amanda Nunes, right, posted an apology to Ronda Rousey for her comments after their bout at UFC 207 last December. (AP/John Locher)
Over a month after blasting Ronda Rousey inside the octagon and berating her outside of it, current UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes has reached out and apologized to her adversary.
Back in UFC 207 last December, Nunes (14-4) surprisingly outclassed Rousey (12-2) in less than one round, but even more shocking was her verbal tirade against the former Olympian judoka during the post-fight interview and even on social media.
The 28-year-old Brazilian poked fun at Rousey, using an unflattering internet meme of the two, while also reminding fans after the fight that ‘Rowdy’ was simply an afterthought.
READ: Nunes trolls Rousey after UFC 207 win
“She’s [Rousey] going to go do movies. Forget about her. She has a lot of money already. We have vision and a lot of talent. Forget about Ronda Rousey. I’m the real champion,” she told UFC commentator Joe Rogan after the match.
As expected, her bold proclamation did not sit well with most Rousey fans. Even several female fighters described her jests as “classless” and “disrespectful”.
Feeling remorse over her actions, ‘The Lioness’ not only apologized to Rousey for her actions, but also to the fans and the UFC.
“Let me take a moment to explain myself,” Nunes wrote on her Instagram page on Tuesday. “I was overwhelmed with adrenaline, emotion, and hurt at the time. I held so much in during the weeks prior to my fight with Ronda.”
Nunes went on to explain her side of things and acknowledged Rousey as one of the true pioneers of women’s MMA, who brought the sport to new heights.
“I might have said or posted some things at the time that I now realize was not the right thing to do. I want to apologize to Ronda. Her fans and mine and the UFC as well. Ronda is an amazing athlete and has done so much for this sport, especially for the women,” she added, along with the hashtag #respect.
On her way back to the UFC after a year-long hiatus from fighting, pundits believed Rousey was on her way to reclaiming her former glory and was heavily favored against Nunes.
After suffering yet another shattering knockout defeat, Rousey has been rumored to be retiring from MMA altogether.
Although the UFC has yet to make an announcement on her next title defense, Nunes is linked with a potential rematch against rising contender Valentina Shevchenko, whom she has already beaten in the past. Khristian Ibarrola