UFC 277 will be held this upcoming Saturday in Dallas Texas, and the Main event is probably the most highly anticipated rematch during the last 12 calendar months. 

 Juliana Pena vs Amanda Nunes (2) for the Womens Bantamweight Title. The first fight had occurred this past December at UFC 269 and we had discussed a fight preview in length on the cornerpubsports podcast the night before. 

 I myself (like all other so called experts…) had picked that Juliana Pena (12-4-0) (USA) would be ko’d in the 4rth round or earlier, and encouraged listeners that a bet for Nunes (21-5-0) (Brazil) would be as sure a thing as interest earned on a bank account. 

But evidently, big upsets will happen, in January I had written an entire article breaking down the 269 fight and where I feel Juliana Pena did something strategically that Peña’s ten previous opponents had not. 

But one important consideration which was not discussed in that January article on cornerpubsports.net was the Covid factor in Nunes vs Pena 1 at UFC 269. Let’s talk about this element now on the eve of the exciting re-match. 

It’s important to remember that Nunes vs Pena 1 at UFC 269 was a reschedule, the fight had originally been slated for UFC 265 in August 2021, but was postponed when Nunes expressed a need to back out due to testing positive for Covid. Pena made a social media video at the time claiming Nunes was lying about the alleged positive covid test. That rather the Brazilian champion was just not prepared for the fight on time. 

And we all said… wow… This is going to make the champion on a ten fight win streak extra angry! But 4 months later Pena backed up her trash talking with an unprecedented surprise victory. The question we still don’t know the answer to (but will after UFC 277 ends) is why was Juliana Pena surprisingly able to defeat the women’s Divisions pound for pound greatest fighter at the time?

Did Nunes get sloppy? Is Juliana Pena actually that damn good? Or was the X- factor in this equation that Nunes is/was suffering from “Long Covid” ?

The result of the rematch will tell us the probable result of this query. An early victory for Nunes would tell us that the five year champion got a little lazy, a little sloppy a little too comfortable in the first fight and she will make that up for that this weekend. In recent interviews she has said that was in fact the problem. 

If Juliana Pena should win (or lose) this rematch during the championship rounds (rounds 4 or 5) that type of result would tell us that while Pena is clearly not the greatest their ever was, she evidently does deserves to be mentioned among some of the finest women’s fighters in the history of the league. 

But if Pena should once again defeat Nunes within the 2nd (or who’d of thunk it, possibly the 1st round) Pena will still have something left to prove to us as critics, something that probably could only be laid to rest by having a rematch against Valentina Shevchenko in her next title defense… 

If Amanda Nunes should lose this rematch in the first or second round, it is the opinion of this contributing writer that “long Covid” has permanently altered Nunes’s respiratory health, and the sight of a former champion who pounded Germaine de Randamie, Felicia Spencer and Raquel Pennington for 25 minutes a piece is a sight we will never see again from Nunes. It just isn’t there anymore, a medical condition will have crippled her as one of the top professional fighters in the world. 

 Let’s see what happens. As a gambler, my suggestion is that if you can afford to take a loss, bet what you can afford to lose on Pena. She defied expectations once, she is talented enough to do it again. But long Covid aside, a fast or long victory from Nunes’s punching power will not be a surprise to anyone. The odds will be a lot closer this week than they had been last December. 

Also, do not rule out that in the event of a Nunes victory, the reclaimed champion may choose to announce her retirement during the post fight interview all the same. Nunes has been very well paid as a five year champion, and has expressed during interviews this month that she wishes to spend more time traveling now along with her young daughter. Let’s watch and see-

Here are a couple quick notes about the two fights leading into the main event- 

Moreno vs Kara France

Flyweight bout to name the #1 contender

Brandon Moreno (19-6-2) (Mexico)  fought men’s flyweight champion Devinson Figuerendo (21-2-1) (Brazil) in his previous three fights. Two of those three fights proved as close as judges descision could possibly be. (The first was even ruled a draw) A win against Kara France (24-9-0) (New Zealand) should be able to earn him an unprecedented fourth fight against the current champ. But Kara France is quite the capable fighter and is riding a rather hot streak. Get ready for what is expected to be an insanely competitive fight. That’s why it’s been placed as the co-main event in spite of being sandwiched between a heavyweight fight and a women’s championship. This fight will be a rematch. The first fight between Kara France and Moreno in 2019 had been close but the Tijuana Mexico native Moreno entered the fight with a small height and reach advantage and had been able to punch a little stronger and a little faster in that go around. It scored him a judge’s decision.
Who’s going to score more points this time around? Honestly, it’s too volatile to make a pick in advance. Advice to those reading is not to bet. (Or just bet that this fight will end in a judge’s decision, that’s a pretty safe opinion.) Just sit back with your beer and popcorn and check out what should be a super high volume and incredibly intense fight. If you’ve never even seen a UFC fight before, consider having this one be your first..


Lewis vs Pavlovich
Heavyweight match up


Do you like watching knock outs? Expect to see a big one when these two heavy’s meet. And who’s going to score the knock out? Hard to say, it’s a matter of positioning, timing toughness and a bit of luck too.


Sergei Pavlovich (15-1-0) (Russia) has been knocking out lesser opponents left and right and now he’s trying to move into the top of the contender list.

Dereck Lewis (26-9-0) (USA) has more career KO’s than any other heavyweight in the division. But last January, New Zeland’s Tai Tuivasa faceplanted Lewis cold onto the canvas following a close range elbow.
Both of these fighters have something important to prove in this fight. Pavlovich means to move up among the contenders and Lewis intends to prove he’s still relevant. The younger man can throw fast punches the way the more seasoned competitor used to. Bet your money that this fight will end in a TKO. No pick for the winner advised.