Fighter Focus
Amanda "Lioness" Nunes
The female face of Brazil. From nothing to GOAT status in the UFC. Today in Fighter Focus – Amanda "Lioness" Nunes.
Youth and private life
Amanda Nunes was born on May 30, 1988, to Sindoval and Ivete Nunes in Salvador, Bahia. She grew up there with her sister Vanessa Nunes.
At the age of four, Nunes began training karate, so her childhood was influenced by martial arts from an early age. At 16, she discovered her love for boxing and initially wanted to focus on that. Later, she trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under black belt Ryan Franco to improve her grappling.
MMA beginnings
Before joining the UFC, Amanda Nunes fought in various Brazilian MMA organizations, including Strikeforce and Invicta FC.
During her time in Brazil, Nunes was able to further develop her MMA skills and demonstrate her dominance in the weight classes she competed in. She won several fights and caught the attention of the MMA community with her impressive fighting style and striking power.
Amanda Nunes made her MMA debut on March 8, 2008 against Ana Maria at Prime MMA Championship 2. She lost by submission in the first round.
Before her time in the UFC, she fought a total of ten fights, of which she won seven
Jump into the UFC
Ihr Ruf als aufstrebendes Talent im MMA führte schließlich dazu, dass die UFC auf sie aufmerksam wurde und sie unter Vertrag nahm. Ihr Debüt für die UFC fand im August 2013 statt, als sie gegen Sheila Gaff antrat und einen überzeugenden Knockout-Sieg erzielte.
​
Es folgten 4 Siege aus 5 Kämpfen innerhalb von nicht einmal drei Jahren. Einen davon fuhr sie gegen die aufstrebende Valentina Shevchenko bei UFC 196 - McGregor vs. Diaz ein, was ihr wenig später den Traum vom ersten Titelkampf bescheren sollte.
​
Nunes war endgültig in der Star-Riege der weiblichen UFC angekommen. Ihre Schlagkraft, ihre Fähigkeiten im Bodenkampf und ihre Kampfintelligenz waren einzigartig. Sie konnte sich gegen verschiedene Stile und Techniken durchsetzen und dominierte ihre Gegnerinnen durch ihre druckvolle Kampfintensität.
Rise to Champion
Amanda Nunes' first UFC title fight took place on July 5, 2016. She faced Miesha Tate for the UFC bantamweight title.
The fight took place at UFC 200, considered one of the biggest events in UFC history. Nunes entered the fight as the underdog, as Miesha Tate had previously captured the title from Holly Holm and was considered an experienced and respected fighter.
Nunes entered the cage with great confidence and began the fight with an aggressive attacking tactic. She used her hard strikes and technical superiority to put pressure on Tate. She eventually managed to take Tate down in the first round and force her to submit with a rear-naked choke.
With this victory, Amanda Nunes became the first Brazilian UFC bantamweight champion and gained international recognition. She demonstrated her skills and proved she was a dominant fighter in the weight class.
This first title fight marked the beginning of a remarkable title reign for Nunes. She successfully defended her bantamweight title against top-ranked opponents such as Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, and Holly Holm, establishing herself as one of the best fighters in women's MMA.
Double Champ
At UFC 232 on December 29, 2018, Amanda Nunes defeated fellow countrywoman Christiane "Cyborg" Justino, who was the reigning UFC Women's Featherweight Champion at the time and had an MMA record of 20-1.
This fight was significant, in addition to the chance for a woman to hold two championship belts simultaneously for the first time in UFC history, because of the two Brazilian opponents. Two camps quickly formed among Brazil's MMA-mad nation, turning the fight into a true showdown. What followed gave Nunes the title of GOAT.
After 51 seconds of the first round, Nunes knocked out her experienced opponent with a single punch, becoming the new titleholder. With the victory, she became the first female dual champion in UFC history. An incredible achievement for the Lioness, which suddenly put the entire Brazilian people behind her.
Julianna Peña
This milestone was followed by four title defenses, cementing Lioness's GOAT status ever more firmly in stone. However, at the end of 2021, she faced a rising "young gun," Mexican Julianna Peña.
She had attracted attention through callouts against Nunes, and so a duel between the two took place on December 11, 2021. For Nunes, another title defense was on the agenda, while for Peña, a great opportunity arose to put an end to the incredible streak.
And it happened as it had to. A courageous Julianna Peña discovered a gap in the guard of the unusually reserved Nunes in the second round and was able to take her opponent down with two solid punch combinations and apply a rear-naked choke. Peña won by submission, thus dethroning Nunes.
However, Nunes didn't let this defeat get to her. She demanded a direct rematch, which she received on July 30, 2022. In this fight, she showed her usual strength and secured a decisive point victory after 25 minutes. From Nunes' perspective, everything was back on track.
LGBTQ+
Regarding her personal life, Amanda Nunes is with her long-time partner, fellow MMA fighter Nina Ansaroff. In August 2020, Nina Ansaroff gave birth to their daughter Alaina.
The couple has publicly embraced the LGBTQ+ community and has played a significant role in increasing the visibility and acceptance of LGBTQ+ athletes.
Amanda Nunes is known for her strong commitment to equality and diversity. She is an inspirational figure to many, both for her athletic achievements and for her role as a role model in the LGBTQ+ community.
What remains
Amanda Nunes entered the sport as a Brazilian no-name and has retrospectively established herself as one of the faces of the female MMA scene.
Her stamina and power in the octagon, her indomitable will to win, and her dedication outside of combat sports. After 25 wins and 12 title defenses in professional sports, Amanda Nunes is now hanging up her gloves.
Obrigado, Amanda.
