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At UFC 232, Amanda Nunes defeated Cris Cyborg, becoming only the second female fighter to ever beat Cyborg. She subsequently became the featherweight champion and the first-ever female double champion in UFC history (and the third overall).
This was a very different situation from the Ronda Rousey fight. Nunes and Cyborg had a little bit of dislike for each other, but it wasn't bad blood. On the other hand, in 2016, Nunes wasn’t concerned with the hype surrounding the returning Rousey, whom she’d called a “movie star” during the build-up to the fight before beating her via TKO, just 48 seconds in. That’s the kind of confidence that makes a star, and Amanda Nunes is a star.
There was never any moment in the fight where Rousey really looked like she’d put up any resistance, albeit with the fight being just 48 seconds long she never really had time to settle in. Nunes was in control throughout, landing punch after punch on UFC’s former darling before Herb Dean finally called the fight.
Retirement seems next on the cards for Rousey as she looks to transition into pop culture and Nunes walks away with not just the nickname “Lioness”, but the reputation of one.
With that being said, here are 5 things you need to know about the current UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.
#5 She’s the first openly gay UFC Champion
Amanda Nunes made history at UFC 200. She dominated Meisha Tate to win the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship that night, after making Tate submit to a rear-naked choke. By winning, Amanda Nunes became the first openly gay champion in the history of the UFC.
Her first title defence came last weekend at UFC 207, when she defeated Ronda Rousey by TKO in just 48 seconds.
Nunes is currently dating fellow UFC fighter Nina Ansaroff. The pair met when Nunes still lived and trained in her local gym. With Nunes’ english still poor, they started off communicating via Google Translate. As far as the future is concerned, the couple plans to get married and adopt a child after finally hanging up their gloves.
#4 Lost first pro fight in 35 seconds but came back with a vengeance
Amanda Nunes’ pro-MMA career didn’t get off to the start that she’d hoped for. She lost her 2008 debut against Ana Maria in just 35 seconds. Not what you’d expect from a future UFC champion.
However, she bounced back with a vengeance afterwards.
Nunes destroyed her next opponent Paty Barbosa in just 11 seconds, hitting her with a flurry of punches as soon as the fight began, forcing her opponent’s corner to throw in the towel on her behalf.
#3 Her last loss came more than 2 years ago
Amanda Nunes’ last loss came against Cat Zingano in September 2016 at UFC 178. After almost knocking Zingano out in the first round with a barrage of punches, she eventually lost the match by TKO in the third round.
Nunes followed this defeat by amassing a three fight win-streak, earning a title shot against Meisha Tate at UFC 200 which she won. Zingano’s next fight was the famous bout with Ronda Rousey, where Rowdy Rousey made Zingano tap in 14 seconds with the armbar.
#2 She began training at the age of 4
Amanda Nunes began training for her future career in Mixed Martial Arts back in Brazil when she was just 4 years old. Truth be told, there wasn’t much else for her to immerse herself in. Speaking about her hometown of Salvador in Bahia, Brazil, Nunes told MMA Junkie:
“It’s a very simple life. Just the basic necessities. Family and God played a very big part of my upbringing.”
At 16, she started boxing before her sister invited her to try out at the jiu-jitsu dojo where she trained and the rest, as they say, is history.
Nunes trained harder than her peers and was the only female who trained in her first gym, leading her youth coach to give her the nickname “Lioness”, after the lions in the gym’s logo.
#1 She’s an animal lover
Along with being one of the most dangerous fighters in the world, Amanda Nunes is also a huge animal lover. Apart from having a dog and a cat, Nunes also has a pet hedgehog called Veceslao and can be posing with him in quite a few photos.
Nunes’ Instagram account is full of pictures of her surrounded by her precious pets. While she does look adorable with her pets, don’t forget that she can probably knock you out with one punch if you cross her.
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