Amanda Nunes

Amanda Nunes: biography

Amanda Nunes is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who performs at UFC Bantamweight division. The champion has had several memorable fights and faced Valentina Shevchenko, Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, and other strong opponents.

Little is known about Amanda’s childhood. She was born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, on May 30, 1988. She took up karate at the age of six; she was pretty good despite the fact that it was only an amateurish level.

Amanda had the first professional experience at the age of 16: she chose boxing and practiced enthusiastically. In a while, the young woman extended her interests and took up Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It was Amanda’s sister who introduced the athlete to this sport.

Mixed martial arts

Initially, Nunes AMA Fight Club in New Jersey; further on, she moved to Miami and joined MMA Masters. The first professional fight took place in March 2008 at Prime MMA Championship 2. The athlete failed: her opponent’s armbar submission left no chance to succeed. However, Nunes won the next five fights.

The series of the impressive victories brought Amanda on the new level. In 2011, she fought her compatriot Julia Budd at StikeForce, the largest promotion of that time. It was an excellent debut: it took Amanda 14 seconds to defeat the rival. The next time, the more experienced fighter, the American Alexis Davis faced Nunes. Although Amanda made it to the second round, she was technically knocked out.

The athlete developed a taste for her work. The following contract with Invicta FC was an important step: it was the largest global organization that held women’s fights only. Amanda faced diverse opponents, and her success was changeable. Soon, the young woman attracted the attention of Dana White, the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Soon, she gained new victories as a UFC member.

The first fight took place in August 2013; Nunes defeated Sheila Gaff in the first round. However, in September 2014, she lost to Cat Zingano. The failure only encouraged the fighter and inspired her to three victories in a row; by the way, Amanda defeated the former candidate for the champion belt Sara McMann.

MMA fans were looking forward to the fight between Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko; the latter was a strong opponent who was likely to win. Nevertheless, the victory was given to Amanda. This achievement gave the woman the chance to fight for the champion belt against Miesha Tate.

The long-awaited event was held in July 2016. In the first round, Nunes performed a series of knee and arm punches; she also used a rear-naked choke. Thus, the athlete won a victory; she was awarded the UFC champion belt.

December 2016 brought the first title dependence; Amanda had to face Ronda Rousey. Amanda knocked out her opponent technically 48 seconds after the beginning of the fight. In September 2017, she met Valentina Shevchenko in the ring again.

The fight took place in the USA. It was a difficult victory for Nunes; Valentina failed eventually. The women had five rounds, and the jury gave the victory to Amanda; the decision was split.

The next UFC fight was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in May 2018: Amanda Nunes faced Raquel Pennington. The former defeated her opponent; it was the third time that the athlete defended the title successfully. Thus, Amanda is the current champion in the Bantamweight group.

Personal life

MMA fans, particularly, Amanda’s fans, are aware of the athlete’s sexual orientation: the woman does not keep secret she is gay. She also shares the information about her personal life with the media.

Nunes dates Nina Ansaroff, a women's strawweight division fighter. In her interviews, Amanda says she is happy with her girlfriend; they spend all the time together. Nina knows everything about her and always supports her beloved one. The athletes also practice together on the same level.

In 2016, Amanda claimed that Nina would become a UFC strawweight champion. Ansaroff began to practice taekwondo at six; she won six fights four of which ended with knockouts.

Present days

In August 2018, Amanda Nunes and Nina Ansaroff announced they were engaged. The lovers posted photos where they were wearing engagement rings on Instagram. They have talked about family issues and childbirth a lot; however, they did not specify who would get pregnant.

Today, Amanda Nunes continues to train and prepare for future fights; she does not want to lose her title. In November 2018, the athlete was number 14 in the official UFC rating in the women's Bantamweight division.

Titles and achievements

• 2016-2018 – UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship winner

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