The former featherweight title contender Megan Anderson is no longer under contract with the UFC after completing her deal following a loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 259.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22351483/1305744597.jpg "Megan Anderson no longer with UFC, following her UFC 259 loss - Anderson")
According to confirmation from MMA Fighting, Anderson’s contract expired following her first-round submission loss to UFC women’s “champ-champ,” Amanda Nunes, at last weekend’s UFC 259 event in Las Vegas, Nevada, and a decision to renew it did not come to pass.
MMA Junkie confirmed with Anderson’s management team at Paradigm Sports that she competed at UFC 259 in the final fight of her deal and has now fulfilled her obligations with the promotion. While Anderson (11-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is free to sign a new agreement with the promotion if offered, the former interim Invicta FC featherweight champion plans on taking some time before plotting her next move.
Megan Anderson had her highs and lows in UFC
Anderson (11-5) signed for the UFC in 2017 and was booked to face Cris Cyborg for the featherweight title in her debut. Withdrawing due to injury, she faced Holly Holm the following year and lost a unanimous decision.
Her current UFC run ends following a six-fight stint with the promotion that began with a June 2018 decision loss to former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm. Her final five fights with the organization all ended in the first round, including wins over Cat Zingano, Zarah Fairn, and Norma Dumont, as well as losses to Felicia Spencer and Nunes.
According to a statement Anderson made during the stream, she claimed that the promotion was set to do away with the entire 145-pound weight class as a whole. While it has always been a popular belief that the promotion would eventually eliminate the division because there aren’t enough fighters to make a Top 15, UFC President Dana White reiterated post-UFC 259 that as long as Nunes wanted to defend the belt, the division would live on.
It was revealed shortly after that the UFC labeled Anderson’s claims as “not true” and women’s featherweight will remain as a weight class in the promotion.
While the future of the UFC’s women’s featherweight division is often questioned given the promotion does not have official rankings for the weight class and holds just a handful of 145-pound female fighters under contract, UFC officials have insisted both publicly and behind the scenes that no determination has been made to scrap the division at this time.
On the other hand, after her 12th consecutive victory, Nunes was called out on Twitter by “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner Julianna Pena. Although Pena is one of the few fresh matchups available at the top of the bantamweight division, the two-division champ did not seem particularly interested in the fight.
Nunes has cleaned out both featherweight and bantamweight divisions. There seems to be no clear challenger in sight following her win over Anderson. But despite her dominance and status as arguably the greatest female fighter in the history of MMA, Nunes doesn’t plan on stopping and is open to whatever challenge comes her way.
Megan Anderson has a couple of options moving forward, including Bellator MMA who has a healthy 145-pound weight class. If she decides to put on few more pounds, Anderson can try to sign with Professional Fighter’s League to compete in its Lightweight division.
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