The former women?s featherweight champion says she turned down a shot to become a two time champion to instead challenge for bantamweight gold.
?She?s right ? I declined the fight at 145,? De Randamie said at a UFC 245 pre-fight press conference (via Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie). ?I was the 145-pound champion. No one defeated me to take that belt; only the UFC took that belt. I want the 135 belt. It?s the most active weight division. There are a lot of girls at 135, not at 145. I?ve been through a lot of (expletive), so 135 it will be.?
Nunes defeated De Randamie in their first meeting over six years ago, but De Randamie says a lot has changed since then.
?The difference is six years,? De Randamie said. ?She was at the beginning of her MMA career or her journey, and same for me. I was more of a kickboxer than a mixed martial artist, but that?s the difference.?
UFC 245 takes place on Saturday, December 14 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada with Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.