UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes has taken to social media to explain her dropping out of her UFC 213 fight with Valentina Shevchenko, revealing she suffers from chronic sinusitis.
The 29-year-old made the announcement via Twitter:
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) July 9, 2017
As ESPN reported, via BJPenn.com, Nunes pulled out of the fight after the weigh-ins. She was medically cleared but, according to UFC President Dana White, didn’t feel fit enough to enter the Octagon:
“She went home last night, and then this morning she called and said she didn’t feel good. So they brought her back in and started running tests on her. She said she didn’t want to fight. She said she didn’t feel good and didn’t want to fight. She was medically cleared to fight. She was checked and everything was fine. But she said she didn’t feel right.”
Per Mike Bohn of USA Today, White was clearly not happy with Nunes:
Dana White says he's not going to main event Amanda Nunes again after today's incident. #UFC213
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) July 9, 2017
Plenty of pundits also called out the champion. SiriusXM Radio host Luke Thomas had his say:
I have no idea what's medically wrong with Amanda Nunes, but I'm confident in saying the idea she is malingering is indefensible.
— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) July 8, 2017
Nunes has fought some of the biggest names in the bantamweight division on her way to the title, including Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate. The Brazilian star obviously isn’t afraid of the competition, so a medical issue the doctors failed to spot initially could be an explanation.
Regardless, her decision to pull herself out of the fight after the weigh-ins will not sit well with the organization or the fans. Nunes’ absence left UFC 213 devoid of major star power, with Cody Garbrandt having previously pulled out of a title fight with TJ Dillashaw.
