UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes scored a split decision win over Valentina Shevchenko in the main event of UFC 215.
Even though there are still three-plus months to go in the year, fans shouldn’t expect to see Nunes back in the Octagon until 2018.
“This is the first thing,” she said after the event. “It’s still very bad. I’m still very congested. I think I’m going to take some time off because this is my breathing, and I have to take care of it. Sometimes, I can’t sleep at night. I think I’m going to take a break, and next year, I will come back.”
The “it” that Nunes is referring to is her chronic sinus condition that caused her to pull out of a title defense at UFC 213.
Nunes also admits that when it came to her title defense at UFC 215, that win was for her and not for the fans checking out the bout.
“I wanted to make this fight for the crowd, but tonight, this fight was for me,” she said. “To go five rounds, to prove I’m the best, (and) that I’m here for a reason.”
Despite the announcement of her not fighting until 2018, the champion doesn’t have a particular date or opponent for her eventual Octagon return.
