Amanda Nunes: The Lioness — Fighter Profile, Career & Legacy
- Dana Black
- May 8
- 7 min read
Introduction
Amanda "The Lioness" Nunes is the greatest female fighter in mixed martial arts history. The Brazilian became the UFC's first female simultaneous two-division champion, defeated every previous holder of the bantamweight or featherweight titles, and retired in June 2023 with a 23-5 record and the longest winning streak in women's UFC history. As of May 2026 she has officially come out of retirement and is targeting a championship return against Kayla Harrison at UFC 329 on July 11.
Contents
Quick Stats
Nickname: The Lioness
Age: 37 (born May 30, 1988)
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
Reach: 69" (175 cm)
Weight Class: Bantamweight (135 lb) — former Featherweight (145 lb)
Stance: Orthodox
Team: Nunes MMA (her own gym, South Florida) — formerly American Top Team
Pro MMA Record: 23 wins, 5 losses (heading into 2026 return)
Background
Born May 30, 1988 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. She started in boxing and then capoeira before transitioning to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in her late teens. She turned professional in MMA in 2008 and built a reputation across Brazilian regional shows and Strikeforce before signing with the UFC in 2013, where she lost two of her first four UFC fights and was widely written off as a contender.
From 2014 onward she rebuilt under American Top Team in South Florida, opened her own gym in 2024 (Nunes MMA), and embarked on the 12-fight win streak that defined her championship reign. She married longtime partner and former UFC strawweight Nina Ansaroff in 2020; they have two daughters together. She has stated her gym ownership and family stability gave her the platform to commit fully to a comeback.
Fighting Style
Heavy-handed aggressive boxing married to elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Nunes built her championship reign on first-round explosiveness — six of her seven KO/TKO wins came in round one — driven by a vicious left hook and an overhand right that she could throw with terminal force in close range. The Cris Cyborg knockout at UFC 232 was the platonic ideal: she walked Cyborg down with feinted shots, drew the counter, and detonated a left hook on the temple in 51 seconds.
Her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under the Nogueira brothers gave her a rear-naked choke that finished both Miesha Tate and Holly Holm, and her takedown defense was world-class against larger opponents in the bantamweight and featherweight pools. Her one demonstrated weakness — exposed by Julianna Pena at UFC 269 — was a tendency to fade in deeper waters when the early finish didn't come; the Pena rear-naked choke arrived in round two of a fight Nunes had appeared to be coasting through.
Career Highlights
July 2016 — UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion. Submitted Miesha Tate by rear-naked choke in round one at UFC 200.
December 2016 — UFC 207 vs Ronda Rousey. Knocked Rousey out in 48 seconds, ending the Rousey era and beginning her own.
December 2018 — UFC 232 vs Cris Cyborg. KO'd Cyborg in 51 seconds to claim the women's featherweight title and become the UFC's first female simultaneous two-division champion.
December 2018 to April 2021 — Held both the UFC women's bantamweight and featherweight titles simultaneously.
July 2022 — UFC 277 vs Julianna Pena 2. Reclaimed the bantamweight title with a one-sided unanimous decision after losing it to Pena seven months earlier.
June 2023 — UFC 289 vs Irene Aldana. Successfully defended the bantamweight title in her hometown of Vancouver via unanimous decision and announced her retirement in the cage.
Notable Fights & Rivalries
vs Ronda Rousey (UFC 207, 2016)
Nunes ended Ronda Rousey's career in 48 seconds. Three big right hands followed by a flurry of strikes against the cage; the referee waved it off before the bell of round one. The result was a generational changing of the guard in women's MMA.
vs Cris Cyborg (UFC 232, 2018)
The most-anticipated fight in women's MMA history. Cyborg had not lost a fight in 13 years; Nunes walked her down and put her unconscious with a left hook in 51 seconds. Two-division champion status secured; the Cyborg era ended that night.
vs Julianna Pena (UFC 269 2021, UFC 277 2022)
The closest Nunes ever came to a career upset. Pena submitted her by rear-naked choke in round two of UFC 269 — Nunes was widely seen as having gassed badly — and reclaimed the title via dominant unanimous decision in the rematch seven months later.
vs Holly Holm (UFC 239, 2019)
Nunes knocked out the former bantamweight champion with a head kick in round one — the first time Holm had ever been knocked out in MMA. The performance confirmed Nunes was operating on a different stylistic level than the rest of the division.
vs Valentina Shevchenko (UFC 196 2016, UFC 215 2017)
The two-fight series that established Nunes's championship pedigree. She won the first by unanimous decision while still climbing the rankings, then defended the title against Shevchenko at UFC 215 by split decision in a fight some observers scored for Shevchenko. Both fights remained the closest decisions of Nunes's career.
Championships & Accolades
UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion (July 2016 to December 2021, July 2022 to June 2023).
UFC Women's Featherweight Champion (December 2018 to retirement in June 2023).
First female simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history.
UFC Hall of Fame Modern Wing inductee (Class of 2025, induction June 26, 2026).
UFC women's records for: most title fight wins (11), most knockouts (7), most finishes (10), longest winning streak (12).
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Disclosed UFC career earnings exceed $11 million.
Current Status
Active and on comeback. After retiring in June 2023, Nunes officially confirmed her return at the UFC 316 press conference in May 2025 and was scheduled to face bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison at UFC 324 in January 2026. Harrison's neck injury forced the cancellation; Nunes has publicly refused to take an interim title fight while waiting.
As of May 2026 she is targeting UFC 329 on July 11, 2026 — International Fight Week in Las Vegas — for the rescheduled Harrison fight. She will be officially inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame Modern Wing on June 26, 2026 at T-Mobile Arena, two weeks before the proposed return. Harrison resumed training in late March; the UFC has not yet officially announced the bout.
Fun Facts
Married to former UFC strawweight Nina Ansaroff in 2020; they have two daughters and live in South Florida.
Her nickname "The Lioness" comes from a Tina Turner song her family played around her as a child.
Holds 5.97 million Instagram followers, the highest of any female fighter in modern UFC history outside of Ronda Rousey.
Owns Nunes MMA, her own training facility in South Florida, after splitting from American Top Team in 2025.
Her career began with two consecutive UFC losses — to Cat Zingano in 2014 — and Dana White publicly questioned whether she would amount to anything in the promotion.
Was the first openly LGBTQ+ champion in UFC history.
Career UFC purses exceed $11 million in disclosed earnings, with significant additional income from Bud Light and other Brazilian-targeted endorsements.
Holds Brazilian and American citizenship and is a permanent resident of Coral Springs, Florida.
Legacy / Verdict
Amanda Nunes is the most accomplished female fighter in MMA history, full stop. Twenty-three wins, five losses, two divisional belts held simultaneously, and a list of defeated opponents that reads like the entire history of women's MMA: Rousey, Cyborg, Holm, Tate, Shevchenko twice. Every previous bantamweight or featherweight champion in the UFC era, beaten — most of them violently.
The post-Pena loss complicated nothing. The rematch was a clinic; the Aldana retirement fight was a clean five-round defense. The Hall of Fame induction in June and the Harrison comeback in July are the two rounds of an additional chapter, not corrections to an already-locked-in legacy. Whatever happens against Kayla Harrison, the GOAT title in women's MMA is permanently hers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Amanda Nunes returning to MMA?
Yes. After retiring in June 2023, Nunes officially confirmed her UFC return in mid-2025. Her comeback against bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison was originally booked for UFC 324 in January 2026 but was scrapped due to Harrison's neck injury. Nunes is now targeting UFC 329 on July 11, 2026 during International Fight Week.
What is Amanda Nunes's professional MMA record?
Twenty-three wins and five losses heading into her 2026 return. She has 14 finishes, including 7 knockouts and 6 submissions, and went on a 12-fight win streak between 2016 and 2021.
Did Amanda Nunes hold two UFC titles at the same time?
Yes. She held the UFC women's bantamweight title and the UFC women's featherweight title simultaneously from December 2018 until April 2021, when Julianna Pena upset her at UFC 269 to take the bantamweight belt. She regained it at UFC 277 in July 2022.
What style does Amanda Nunes fight?
An aggressive boxing-heavy hybrid built on heavy hands, a vicious left hook, and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under the Nogueira brothers. She is one of the most explosive first-round finishers in the history of women's MMA.
Who has Amanda Nunes beaten?
Her resume includes Ronda Rousey (TKO 48 seconds), Cris Cyborg (TKO round 1), Holly Holm (head kick KO), Miesha Tate (rear-naked choke), Valentina Shevchenko (twice), Julianna Pena (twice), and every other woman who held the bantamweight or featherweight title in the modern UFC era.
Is Amanda Nunes in the UFC Hall of Fame?
Yes. She was named to the Class of 2025 Modern Wing and will be officially inducted on June 26, 2026 at T-Mobile Arena during UFC International Fight Week. She becomes the third woman ever inducted.
How tall is Amanda Nunes?
Five feet eight inches (173 cm), with a 69-inch (175 cm) reach. She fights at 135 pounds and previously campaigned at 145.
Where is Amanda Nunes from?
Born May 30, 1988 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. She trains in South Florida and recently opened her own gym after splitting from longtime camp American Top Team.
References
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