Like most athletes, MMA fighters only have a small window in their life to try and capitalize on the craft that they have dedicated themselves to.
Making it to the Octagon is a dream for many rising prospects but staying there is another task altogether and as the recent case with Warley Alves departing the UFC proves, longevity doesn’t earn you a permanent spot on the roster.
Even an elite competitor and former world champion like Israel Adesanya received retirement calls following his knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov.
The point being that very few fighters get to leave the UFC on their own terms, as was the case for Joe Solecki who announced his retirement at just 31-years-old.
One fighter who also decided to retire whilst still being an active UFC fighter has now seemingly decided to reverse their decision three years down the line.
Nina Nunes re-enters the UFC testing pool after retiring in 2022
The UFC’s tracker for how many tests each fighter on the roster has done in 2025 recently added a new name to the extensive list.
Nina Nunes has re-entered the testing pool after announcing her retirement from MMA in August of 2022 following her final fight in the UFC.
Having fought nine times in the promotion, Nunes was once riding a four-fight win streak that was derailed by Tatiana Suarez.
Following a second consecutive loss to Mackenzie Dern later on down the line, she bounced back with a split decision win over Cynthia Calvillo before leaving her gloves in the cage.
“As a fighter, I think I’ve done what I wanted to,” Nunes told Daniel Cormier in her post-fight interview. “It started as a hobby, I got all the way here, I’m gonna focus on coaching and bringing up those girls that are struggling right now.”
Nunes did however state in her interview that her decision was motivated by family which means she didn’t necessarily rule out a return further down the line.
In September of 2021, the Florida native welcomed her first child with her wife, the former UFC bantamweight and featherweight champion, Amanda Nunes.
“I mean I feel great at 125, it’s where I should’ve always been but I want more babies so I’m stepping away to have another kid.”
What does this mean for Amanda Nunes?
Though the talk has been quiet for some time now, there were a few teases last year that Amanda Nunes could be looking to return.
‘The Lioness’ went out on her own terms at UFC 289 in June of 2023 where after defending the bantamweight title against Irene Aldana, she announced her retirement.
However, talk started to change once former PFL superstar Kayla Harrison was signed to the UFC with many believing that if she can become champion, it could tempt Nunes back to take on a fresh challenge.
We currently don’t know what is next for the women’s bantamweight division but the fact that Nina is back in the testing pool would suggest that the Nunes household is back in some form of regular training.