Amanda Nunes

THE FIGHTER

Amanda Nunes is the greatest female MMA fighter who has ever competed. Full stop. Born in Salvador, Brazil, she grew up training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing, developing the multi-dimensional game that would eventually dismantle an entire generation of women's champions. She signed with the UFC in 2013 and by 2016 had already become bantamweight champion, beginning one of the most dominant title reigns in the history of the sport.

What separates Nunes from the conversation is not just the belt count — though holding two simultaneously was unprecedented — it is the names she beat. She knocked out Ronda Rousey in 48 seconds. She stopped Cris Cyborg, the most physically imposing fighter in featherweight history, in 51 seconds. She submitted Miesha Tate to win her first title and defended it against Holly Holm, Valentina Shevchenko twice, Raquel Pennington, and many others. Her only notable loss in the span of a decade came in the first Julianna Pena fight, which she immediately avenged in a dominant rematch.

Nunes retired from competition in 2023 after her second Pena fight, stepping away at the top of the sport as its most decorated athlete. She is openly gay, married to fellow fighter Nina Ansaroff, and the mother of two children. She proved that you can be fully yourself, build a family, and still be the best on the planet.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

SIGNATURE MOVES

BIGGEST WINS