Amanda Nunes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amanda Nunes
Ceremonial weigh ins - Amanda Nunes vs Julianna Peña UFC 269
Born	Amanda Lourenço Nunes (1988-05-30) May 30, 1988 (age 37) Pojuca, Bahia, Brazil
Other names	The Lioness
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	135 lb (61 kg)
Division	Bantamweight (2011–2023) Featherweight (2008–2011, 2018–2023)
Reach	175 cm (69 in)
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Coral Springs, Florida, U.S.
Team	Team Carvalho (2003–2012) AMA Fight Club (2010–2012) MMA Masters (2012–2014) American Top Team (2014–2022)
Rank	Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Daniel Valverde Brown belt in Judo
Years active	2008–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	28
Wins	23
By knockout	13
By submission	4
By decision	6
Losses	5
By knockout	2
By submission	2
By decision	1
Spouse	Nina Nunes
Children	2

Amanda Lourenço Nunes (born May 30, 1988) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. She is famous for competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Amanda is a former UFC Women's Featherweight Champion. She also held the UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion title two times.

Many people think Amanda Nunes is one of the best female mixed martial artists ever. She is the only woman to become a two-division UFC champion. This means she held titles in two different weight classes at the same time. Only two other fighters, Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier, have done this in the UFC. She is also the only fighter in UFC history to defend two titles in two different weight classes while holding them both.

Early Life and Training

Amanda Nunes was born on May 30, 1988, in Pojuca, Brazil. This is a small town near Salvador, Bahia. She has two older sisters. When Amanda was four, her parents separated. She and her sisters stayed with their mother. Her mom worked hard to support the family. She sold hot dogs, sweets, and beauty products. Amanda's mother also worked as a school assistant.

Amanda's mother was loving but also strict. She encouraged Amanda to play sports. This helped Amanda use her extra energy. Amanda first wanted to be a professional soccer player. She played for her local team in Pojuca. Later, she played for the Salvador team. She even had a chance to try out for a big football club, Vitória. But her mother wanted her to focus on school instead.

Starting Martial Arts

Amanda's uncle was a Vale Tudo fighter. This is an early form of mixed martial arts. Her mother, who boxed herself, helped him during his fights. Amanda started capoeira classes when she was five. Her school teacher said she had too much energy. At age seven, she began learning karate.

Amanda's mother taught her an important lesson. She said, "the first strike has to be yours." This meant Amanda should always be ready to act first in a fight.

When Amanda was 16, her sister Vanessa invited her to a dojo. A dojo is a training hall for martial arts. There, Amanda started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. She also began boxing. Even though she was the only girl, she quickly became very good. She could beat her training partners in sparring.

At 17, Amanda moved to Salvador to train more seriously. She trained at the Edson Carvalho academy. She also started learning judo. She lived at the gym because it was closer to her training. Her coach and other students started calling her "Leoa." This means "lioness" in Portuguese. She still uses this nickname today.

Amanda loved living at the gym. It was near the sea, which she enjoyed. She woke up early to clean the gym with her coach. This was part of a fighter's life. She felt it was all worth it when she looked back.

Achievements in Jiu-Jitsu

Amanda soon started competing in BJJ tournaments. She won a gold medal at the Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Championship in 2008. She also won gold at the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in 2009. In 2012, she became a world champion in the North American Grappling Association (NAGA). She won in both the lightweight and absolute divisions. Today, Amanda has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She also has a brown belt in Judo.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Amanda Nunes had her first professional fight on March 8, 2008. She lost this fight by a submission move called an armbar.

Early Fights and Strikeforce

After her first loss, Amanda won five fights in a row. All of these wins were by knockout. She then joined Strikeforce, another big MMA organization. Her Strikeforce debut was on January 7, 2011. She knocked out Julia Budd in just 14 seconds.

Amanda was supposed to fight Julie Kedzie in June 2011. But she hurt her foot, so the fight was canceled. In September 2011, she fought Alexis Davis. Amanda started strong but got tired. She lost this fight in the second round.

Invicta FC and UFC Debut

Amanda then fought in Invicta FC. In July 2012, she won a fight by technical submission. This was a rear-naked choke. In January 2013, she lost a fight by decision.

Amanda made her first appearance in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on August 3, 2013. She fought Sheila Gaff in Brazil. Amanda won the fight by TKO in the first round. She won her second UFC fight in November 2013. She defeated Germaine de Randamie by TKO in the first round.

In September 2014, Amanda faced Cat Zingano. Amanda almost won in the first round. But she lost the fight in the third round. After this, she won two more fights in 2015. She defeated Shayna Baszler by TKO and Sara McMann by submission. In March 2016, she won against Valentina Shevchenko by decision.

Becoming a UFC Champion

After winning three fights in a row, Amanda got her first chance to fight for a UFC title. She fought Miesha Tate for the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship on July 9, 2016. This was at UFC 200, a very big event. Amanda won the fight by submission in the first round. She became the new champion. This victory also made her the first openly gay UFC champion.

On December 30, 2016, Amanda defended her title for the first time. She fought the famous Ronda Rousey at UFC 207. Amanda won the fight by TKO in just 48 seconds.

Her second title defense was against Valentina Shevchenko again. The fight happened on September 9, 2017, at UFC 215. Amanda won a very close fight by split decision.

Amanda faced Raquel Pennington on May 12, 2018, at UFC 224. She won by TKO in the fifth round. This event was special because it was the first UFC main event with two openly gay fighters.

Double Champion Status

Amanda then moved up to a heavier weight class. She fought Cris Cyborg for the UFC Women's Featherweight Championship on December 29, 2018. This was at UFC 232. Amanda knocked Cyborg out in only 51 seconds of the first round. She became the new Featherweight Champion. This made her the first woman in UFC history to hold championship belts in two different divisions at the same time. This amazing win also earned her the Performance of the Night award.

Amanda went back to the bantamweight division to defend her title. On July 6, 2019, she fought former champion Holly Holm at UFC 239. Amanda won by knockout in the first round. She knocked Holm down with a head kick. This win also earned her another Performance of the Night award.

On December 14, 2019, Amanda fought Germaine de Randamie again at UFC 245. She defended her Bantamweight Championship by winning a unanimous decision. This win meant Amanda had the most wins in women's title fights in the UFC, with seven wins.

Amanda defended her featherweight title against Felicia Spencer on June 6, 2020, at UFC 250. She won by unanimous decision. She then defended her featherweight title again against Megan Anderson on March 6, 2021, at UFC 259. Amanda won this fight by submission in the first round.

Losing and Regaining a Title

Amanda was set to defend her bantamweight title against Julianna Peña on December 11, 2021, at UFC 269. After a strong first round, Amanda was defeated by submission in the second round. She lost her bantamweight championship in a big upset.

In 2022, Amanda and Julianna Peña were coaches on a TV show called The Ultimate Fighter 30. A rematch for the UFC Women's Bantamweight title happened on July 30, 2022, at UFC 277. Amanda won the title back with a dominant decision victory over Peña. She became the first person in UFC history to become a double champion twice.

Retirement and Hall of Fame

Amanda Nunes fought Irene Aldana on June 10, 2023, at UFC 289. She won the fight by a clear decision. After this win, Amanda announced that she was retiring from fighting.

In April 2025, during the UFC 314 broadcast, it was announced that Amanda Nunes would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. This special event took place in June 2025.

Comeback Announcement

On June 5, 2025, after being retired for two years, Amanda Nunes announced her return to the UFC. She stated she would fight the winner of the match between Kayla Harrison and Julianna Peña at UFC 316.

Personal Life

Amanda Nunes is married to former UFC fighter Nina Nunes (whose maiden name was Ansaroff). Nina also competed in the strawweight division. Amanda has said that her success in the UFC is partly thanks to their relationship. On September 24, 2020, Amanda and Nina welcomed their first child, a daughter. On November 6, 2023, they welcomed their second daughter.

Championships and Accomplishments

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Hall of Fame (Modern wing, Class of 2025)
  • UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship (two times)
    • Successfully defended the title six times in total
    • Most wins in UFC title fights among women (11)
    • First woman in UFC to win two titles (bantamweight and featherweight)
    • First and only UFC fighter to defend titles in two divisions while holding both at the same time
    • First and only fighter to retire as a multi-division champion in UFC history
  • UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship (one time)
    • Successfully defended the title two times
    • Longest combined UFC title reign of all time (3940 days)
    • Most combined title defenses by a woman in UFC history (8)
  • Performance of the Night (five times)
    • Tied for the second most Performance of the Night bonuses in UFC Women's history (5)
  • Second most wins in UFC Women's history (16)
  • Most knockouts in UFC Women's history (7)
  • Most consecutive wins in UFC Women's history (12)
  • Most knockouts in UFC Women's Bantamweight division history (6)
  • Most finishes in UFC Women's Bantamweight division history (8)
  • Most wins in UFC Women's Bantamweight division history (13)
  • Most consecutive wins in UFC Women's Bantamweight division history (9)
  • Most takedowns in UFC Women's Bantamweight division history (32)
  • Holds wins over eight current or former UFC champions

Mixed Martial Arts Record

Pay-per-view Bouts

See also

In Spanish: Amanda Nunes para niños

• List of current UFC fighters
• List of female mixed martial artists
• List of UFC champions
• Double champions in MMA
• UFC Hall of Fame