Can Amanda Serrano kill two birds with one stone? It’s possible if Amanda Nunes agrees. She could have the comeback she looked forward to. Meanwhile, Serrano will get an opportunity to test her skills against the best and, if possible, extend her win streak in MMA to 3-0. The former UFC champion whose much-anticipated return now hangs in the balance might as well listen to UFC’s co-creator Campbell McLaren.
The developments emerged after Nunes’s earlier scheduled fight against Kayla Harrison on the UFC 324 co-main fell apart. The bantamweight champion had pulled out after she sustained a neck injury. Bantamweight number-ranked contender Julianna Pena offered to step in, but Nunes seems to oppose the idea. While Amanda Serrano expressed interest in fighting the Brazilian icon, McLaren believes her credentials are more than enough to make her a suitable option.
Advertisement
Support grows for Serrano in Nunes matchup
As the discussion around Serrano’s offer gained traction, tagging her Jan 15 tweet where she spoke about her MMA and BJJ skills, McLaren wrote, “Amanda Serrano learned MMA in Combate Global. Maybe because inside sources say Nunes has refused to fight @VenezuelanVixen (Julianna Pena), then Serrano is a great idea.”
Earlier he messaged that Amanda Nunes had refused a matchup against Pena. Yesterday, sharing more details about Serrano’s MMA experience, McLaren revealed how she honed her MMA skills under Combate Global, the Hispanic-American mixed martial arts company he founded back in 2011.
He even claimed that Serrano made more money while fighting at Combate Global than she made as a boxer at the time. “@afromike76 (Mike Afromowitz, Combate Global CFO and EVP Fight Ops) recruited her. Serrano can challenge Nunes because of her Combate experience,” he added.
Serrano’s comments reinforce McLaren’s tweets.
Advertisement
Serrano’s MMA quest meets biggest questions
“I have three MMA fights. I know a little thing or two about fighting. To this day, I still throw my kicks at the bag. I’m still doing sprawls. Actually, my nephew, he’s the captain of his varsity high school team, Cleveland High School. So, I’m constantly around wrestling. I support him and his team. And it’s just something that I’ve always been into,” she told TMZ Sports.
The multi-division champion, who herself faced a last-minute replacement in the year’s first boxing card, made her Combate Global debut back in 2018. The match against Corina Herrera ended in a draw. However, months later she returned to claim a first-round win over Erendira Ordonez via rear-naked choke. It took her another three years, while she defended her featherweight titles, before Serrano stepped in to face Valentina Garcia at the iKon Fighting Federation 7.
Serrano’s challenges for a Nunes face-off, however, remain substantial, even with McLaren’s backing. While she keeps her MMA skills sharp, the fact remains she hasn’t stepped into the cage since 2021. Nunes faces a similar predicament given she’s making her comeback two years after she defended her title from Irene Aldana. Yet the burden of doubt rests more on Serrano than it does on Nunes.
Advertisement
More significantly, Serrano could potentially face a promotion-related problem. Back in 2023, she inked an agreement with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). So a conflict could emerge ifshe wants to participate in a UFC event.
The post Amanda Serrano Receives UFC Co-Creator’s Backing After Nunes Rejects Julianna Pena Replacement Offer appeared first on EssentiallySports.
