"I was scared of being depressed" - Amanda Nunes Empathizes With Dustin Poirier
As consensus women's MMA GOAT Amanda Nunes prepares for her comeback, the legendary Brazilian remains mindful of the struggles she experienced during her time away from the sport and the difficult road back to competition.
Consensus women's MMA GOAT Amanda Nunes will return to the Octagon this Saturday to face her former teammate and reigning women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison in the co-main event of UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden.
This marks the first time the 'Lioness' has returned to active competition since her retirement following UFC 289 in 2023. However, as she prepares for her comeback, the legendary Brazilian remains mindful of the struggles she experienced during her time away from the sport and the difficult road back to competition.
Having experienced similar uncertainties and mental health struggles during her time away from the sport, Nunes has developed a deeper understanding of the perils Dustin Poirier has faced in civilian life since his retirement.
Amanda Nunes Empathizes with Dustin Poirier
Speaking with UFC flyweight legend Demetrious Johnson in the lead-up to UFC 334, Nunes delved deep into her mental health struggles and how retirement had not been kind to her. The former women's bantamweight champion revealed that not having a goal to chase caught her off guard, especially since fighting had been her entire life:
“When I retired, and I didn’t have anything to chase, that’s what caught me off guard. Until retiring, you don’t know anything. Your feelings, chemistry, everything gets messed up because your whole life you live in . After you retire, you realize you don’t really know yourself. I always had something to chase, and then one day, you suddenly stop. I started getting anxiety, and I was scared of being depressed. I needed something to focus on in my life and prepare for my life ."
Touching on Dustin Poirier's run-ins with the law amid his retirement, Nunes empathized with the former lightweight title challenger:
“I never prepared for life after fighting, and that’s really dangerous. Nobody talks about that. I know everything that Dustin Poirier is going through because I went through it too.”
Check out Amanda Nunes opens up about retirement struggles below (5:41):
Amanda Nunes lays out her plans beyond UFC 334
If you were among those who thought Amanda Nunes' UFC 334 return against Kayla Harrison would be a one-off, well, you couldn't be more wrong. If she wins the title, the 'Lioness' doesn't seem to have any plans to hit the brakes anytime soon.
During the aforementioned interview, when Demetrious Johnson asked whether the Harrison fight would be a one-and-done or if she planned to stick around and take on any challengers, Nunes clarified that she was here to stay and defend the belt. The 38-year-old then delved deeper into her mindset, saying:
"My plan was to come back, get the belt, and defend it as long as . Maybe, like, open a business. Demetrious, I need to chase something in life. I cannot sit at home without doing anything. I can't. I'm a champion for a reason. I was born a champion for a reason. I gotta chase something in life. I cannot stay at home and, like, be cool. This is not how I want to live for the rest of my life, you know? I need to be challenged... The biggest thing is the next fight, and I'm so excited about it. I'm gonna get my belt back, and I'm gonna defend my belt."
