Last week, the UFC announced plans of running a bumper fight card from an undisclosed location on 9 May.
Said fight card included three title bouts: one for the interim UFC lightweight championship between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje, Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz for the UFC bantamweight strap, and the UFC women’s featherweight title being fought over by champion Amanda Nunes and challenger Felicia Spencer.
However, Nunes says she won’t be appearing on the proposed supercard.
The Brazilian had verbally agreed to her bout with Spencer, but says the fight on 9 May is too soon due to the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
“Actually, I’m not fighting May 9,” Nunes told CBS Sports‘s Brian Campbell. “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].”
Despite most of the world being in lockdown, Nunes says she has largely been able to train as normal at her American Top Team gym in Coconut Creek, Florida. Though, the gym is only open to fighters who specifically have fights booked and they all have to observe a degree of social distancing.
“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.”
As for Spencer, Nunes says its the kind of match-up she finds interesting at this point in her career.
“I like this matchup a lot,” Nunes said. “I like to fight girls like her – tough, want to fight all the time, she’s not a running fighter. She’s really going to bring that and I love it. That brings out the best in me.”