If the UFC still hopes to have three title fights on its planned, May 9th card, the promotion has some work to do. Recently Amanda Nunes announced she will not be defending the featherweight title against Felicia Spencer on that date after all.

Nunes wants a full training camp for next title defense

After the UFC’s plans to host UFC 249, April 18th on tribal lands in California fell through, Dana White announced the promotion’s moving ahead with a May 9th event. When White shared out the planned card for that date, a bout between featherweight champ Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer was included.

Well, recently Brian Campbell from CBS Sports spoke with Nunes, and the champ-champ reported this.

“Actually, I’m not fighting May 9,” Nunes said. “I’m going to fight, [but] I don’t know yet. I don’t think this is the right time for me right now to fight.

Let this coronavirus pass a little bit so I can at least have a full camp. We can maybe see around June, [but] let’s see what is going to happen. But I’m not fighting [May 9].”

Nunes, who trains out of American Top Team in Florida, also reported the following about the renowned gym.

“The gym opened just for people that has fights coming up,” Nunes said. “It’s not many people, just me and a couple guys that are going to be on the same card as me.

We all have separate training with just me and my coach, one on one.

“I keep in shape like that. I go to the gym only one time in the morning and do everything. I do a couple of things by myself and some things that I need a coach.

Then I come home and I really do everything I need to keep in shape. I have a treadmill and some weights.”

Pretty understandable

It will be interesting to see what kind of reaction Nunes’ decision receives. But, hopefully, the vast majority of feedback she receives is positive.

Although, history shows us that unfortunately, some folks have difficulty considering and or understanding the broader picture, before blasting fighters. Case in point, some fans criticized Khabib Nurmagomedov for getting stranded in Russia due to a coronavirus travel ban…

Training under these conditions on account of the coronavirus pandemic has got to be extremely difficult. So, why should Nunes defend her 145 crown under far less than ideal circumstances? 

And that’s aside from the debate about whether a fighter should be traveling and competing at any card right now.

With this latest development, the UFC’s planned May 9th card is down to two title fights. Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight championship and bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz.