Following her stunning victory at UFC 232, there is now little doubt that Amanda Nunes is the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time. Having grown up in a small town outside of Salvador, Brazil, she started training Karate at the age of four before boxing and Jiu-Jitsu at around 16. Now 30 years of age she has been on a destructive run, in which she has dispatched of many champions of the past in the UFC. Nunes is now the current reigning and undisputed Bantamweight and Featherweight champion. This meant she became the first and only woman in the history of the organisation to become a two division champion, and also to hold them simultaneously.
She entered her UFC 232 clash as the underdog on online-betting.org for her clash against Cris Cyborg. This was no surprise considering Cyborg has long been the most feared and avoided fighter in Women’s MMA. She was entering the contest having not tasted defeat since her debut back in 2005. This remarkable 13 year unbeaten run came to an end as Nunes knocked her out after just 51 seconds. This was a stunning victory but came as a big shock to fight fans.
Amanda extended her professional record to 17 victories with just four defeats, with her last defeat coming back in 2014 at UFC 178. Nunes joined the American top team, which has certainly helped shape her into the fighter she is today. It is her recent list of opponents that she has beaten that’s now puts her in a league of her own. These include:
- Valentina Shevchenko (x2)
These victories came via two close decisions, so she could be next in line for another shot at the Brazilian. Shevchenko is also the current flyweight champion and has only tasted defeat on one other occasion in her lengthy career bar the two defeats to Nunes.
- Miesha Tate
The victory over Tate came at UFC 200, in which she was victorious via a rear naked choke submission in round one. This was the fight that Nunes picked up the Bantamweight title. Tate went into the fight having won her previous five in succession.
- Ronda Rousey
A fight that lasted just 48 seconds as Nunes really put her name forward as one of the greatest ever in dispatching of Rousey with ease. Rousey is widely regarded as the pioneer of Women’s MMA so this was a huge victory for the Brazilian.
- Raquel Pennington
Pennington is a tough and seasoned fighter in the UFC, so this was another impressive victory for the Brazilian. The fight ended via TKO in the fifth and final round of the contest.
- Cyborg
The biggest win of her career against the previously dominant champion in Cristiane Justino. This stunning first round stoppage all but cements her legacy as the greatest Women’s mixed martial artist of all time.