Dana White: Future of the women's featherweight division is up to Amanda Nunes

There is a widespread belief that the UFC women’s featherweight division may not last. Despite being added in 2017, it still doesn’t have an official rankings list. Women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes also holds the featherweight belt, and was so dominant vs. Megan Anderson at UFC 259 that former champ champ Daniel Cormier referred to it as a non-event.

If Nunes is already the champ at 135, and has no contenders that appear remotely competitive, what’s the point of having it? The UFC women’s featherweight division is by and large a bantamweight division. The division was created around Cris Cyborg, but the initial title fight was Germaine de Randamie vs. Holly Holm, both bantamweights. When GDR didn’t defend her title, Cyborg fought bantamweight Tonya Evinger to win the title, and successfully defended it twice, vs. bantamweights Holm and Yana Kunitskaya. Finally the bantamweight champ Nunes dethroned Cris Cyborg.

However, at the UFC 259 post-fight media conference, UFC president Dana White said the future of the division is up to Nunes.

We’ll keep that division cranking as long as the champ-champ wants to defend it, said White. She’s incredible, and she goes in there and she made it look easy tonight against a really tough girl who hits hard who came to win, so it couldn’t happen to a better human being. She’s one of the sweetest people on earth, and I’m really happy for her. We’re talking about turning her around quick here for the 135-pound title since tonight was an easy night for her.”

The next women’s bantamweight contender has apparently been determined – Julianna Pena, who is coming off a submission win over Sara McMann at UFC 257 on January 24, 2021.

Julianna Pena has been texting all of us all night. She’s been busy tonight,” said White. “Yeah, we can do that.

The flip side of White’s remarks is that if Nunes doesn’t want to defend the 145 belt, it may be wound down. The top of the women’s strawweight, flyweight, and bantamweight divisions are incredible. The top of the women’s featherweight division is bantamweights. It’s hard to imagine the division lasting past Nunes’ retirement, which betting officionado and insider Jon Anik pegged at 3.5 fights.