Megan Anderson no longer under UFC contract after defeat to Amanda Nunes at UFC 259

The UFC women’s featherweight division just took a major hit. During a recent Twitch stream, Megan Anderson announced that she’s no longer under UFC’s contract. According to MMA Fighting, Anderson’s contract expired following her recent loss to UFC GWOAT and double champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 259 and a decision to renew the contract never came to pass.

Megan Anderson vs Amanda Nunes: Megan Anderson UFC contract expired

During the stream, the 31-year-old claimed that UFC had planned to demolish the featherweight division as a whole. This has always been a popular belief among fans, considering the division doesn’t even have enough fighters to make a Top 15. However, UFC President Dana White is adamant to keep the weight class alive as long as Amanda Nunes wants to defend her featherweight strap.

“We’ll keep that division cranking as long as the champ-champ wants to defend it,” White said at the UFC 259 post-fight conference.

Megan Anderson vs Amanda Nunes: Anderson’s resume

Amanda Nunes is currently 3-0 (21-4 in MMA) as a featherweight in the UFC following her demolition of Cris Cyborg to win the title and subsequent defences over Felicia Spencer and Anderson. As for Anderson, she parted ways with the promotion after three years, winning and losing three fights each in the UFC. The former Invicta champion suffered losses in two of her first three fights including a lopsided defeat to former bantamweight champion Holly Holm in her debut.

However, the Aussie won the title shot after two straight wins against Zarah Fairn Dos Santos and Norma Dumont, respectively. But, now it looks like she’ll be looking for a new home. When it comes to the women’s featherweight division, there’s currently only one fight booked under that weight class - Felicia Spencer vs Danyelle Wolf, which is set for May 22, 2021. Amanda Nunes, on the other hand, will be away from the division in the coming months as she’s rumoured to drop down to bantamweight and defend her second belt against Julianna Pena.

Megan Anderson UFC contract: Anderson says goodbye

On Wednesday, Anderson took to social media and released a statement, confirming the news of her departure. She claimed that she’s incredibly proud that she was able to “reach the pinnacle of the sport,” adding that she’s gonna keep on moving forward. “I’m looking to rest up and heal from my injuries before I decide what is next for my MMA career. Regardless of what the UFC decides to do with the women’s 145 division, there are plenty of opportunities for me across the world to continue to do what I love,” she concluded.

Image Source: Megan Anderson, UFC/ Instagram