Former UFC women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie is inching closer to ending her three-year absence.
De Randamie was once one of the top pound-for-pound female fighters in the world after wins over the likes of Holly Holm, Julianna Peña, and Raquel Pennington. But, she hasn’t fought since a win over Peña, when she submitted her with a guillotine choke with minutes left in the fight.
De Randamie has dealt with injuries over the past few years that have postponed her MMA career. She was expected to face Irene Aldana at UFC 268 before withdrawing a few weeks before the event.
As she approaches full health, the 39-year-old de Randamie is out to prove that age is just a number, and she’s close to being booked for a UFC return.
Germaine de Randamie Targets Q4 UFC Return
During a recent interview with UFC Eurosport, de Randamie called for a return to the Octagon by the end of the year.
“We are full in training and I don’t have a date yet, but we are going for November or October, end of October or November,” de Randamie said. “I’m feeling good, I’m waiting for the call right now. My manager is negotiating, so we’ll see, but 2023 it will be anyway.”
A five-fight winning streak from 2015 to 2019 propelled de Randamie to a bantamweight title shot against Amanda Nunes. She lost to Nunes by unanimous decision at UFC 245 in what was a back-and-forth fight.
Before moving full-time to MMA, de Randamie tallied a 46-0 record in professional kickboxing. Her last kickboxing fight was in May 2011.
If de Randamie’s plans remain intact, she could return for either UFC 294 or UFC 295 later this year. After the dismantling of the featherweight division, she’s forced to return to bantamweight and will look to recapture her earlier success in the cage.
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All quotes from MMA Junkie
