UFC title challenger Amanda Nunes: 'I don't understand why I get tired'

Mar 21, 2015; Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL; Amanda Nunes (red gloves) reacts after defeating Shayna Baszler (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ginasio do Maracanazinho. Mandatory Credit: Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this week, we took a look at the just-announced exciting bantamweight title bout between champ Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes, taking place at UFC 200 this July. We discussed how closely-matched this contest seems to be.

Casual fans may not yet be well-acquainted with Nunes but she is a deserving beast of a challenger. The only real weaknesses that she's shown in the past couple years is tiring before her opponents as fights wore on.

That's a tough weakness to have against Tate, because the champion's main strength seems to be her ability to scrap longer and harder than her opponents. "The Lioness" is well-aware of that liability of hers and openly discussed it on MMAJunkie Radio this week.

"I don't understand why I get tired," she said.

"It happened with me twice with Cat and now with Valentina [Shevchenko]. Now I have to figure out what is going on."

The American Top Team fighter went on to say that she plans to get blood tests done to see if she is deficient in any important area. Additionally, she said she intends on traveling from her humid Florida home to the dry Las Vegas air a month prior to her title fight in order to get better acclimated.

"I'm going to be in Vegas maybe with a month to go before this fight with Miesha, training there to see how I feel and to get comfortable with the weather there," she said.

"At least with me, I don't know if it's happening with other fighters, but with me it happens."

Nunes knows she's in for a real fight against Tate, in large part because of the champion's durability. Even when Tate gets hurt badly, she never seems to back off.

"Miesha can take a lot of punches and is still in the fight," she continued.

"I think that's the biggest difference between Miesha and her opponents."

As for the difference between her and other top contenders like former champions Holly Holm and Ronda Rousey, who are both coming off of finish losses, Nunes also believes there's a clear difference, there. Namely, that she deserves the next title shot, and no one else.

After all, she's won three straight, and five out of her six UFC bouts. "I think I'm the only one that deserves this in the division right now," Nunes maintained.

"I'm putting work in the cage and showing good fights and finishes. This is the best way to show everybody the contender, and I did."