Amanda gained wide public attention after the massacre over Ronda. Photo Josh Hedges
Amanda nunes won the Ultimate belt in July this year, when he knocked out Miesha Tate at the historic UFC 200. But it was at the last event of 2016 that the 28-year-old Bahian woman made her name in history.
With an almost perfect performance, the Brazilian knocked out the star Ronda Rousey in just 48 seconds in the main fight of UFC 207, held this past Friday, and boosted his career to a global audience.
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To end 2016 in style, the SUPER FIGHTS prepared a special to introduce the new national MMA star to the general public.
1 – First openly gay champion
Amanda nunes had already marked an era in the sport by becoming the first openly gay champion in UFC history. But the Bahian, who has a serious relationship with the fellow Ultimate athlete Nina ansaroff, did more than that. She won the belt in July, just three weeks after an attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando.
Amanda, who lives in Coconut Creek, just over a 2-hour drive from the scene of the tragedy, did not remain silent. In the most important moment of her professional life, she spoke of her pride in being gay and showed hope that this type of attack would not happen again.
“It’s incredible (to be the first gay champion), I’m happy with myself. But I wish this kind of thing didn't happen anymore (attacks against gays). Peace in the world is important. I don't think the US will let this happen again. This has to stop”
Amanda (left) next to Nina, also a UFC fighter
2 – She was almost a football player
Brazil almost lost its first UFC champion to football. The Bahian revealed that the first sport in her childhood was not related to fighting. “I played ball all the time. I was and still am passionate about football.” The fighter was hired by Vitória, but jiu-jitsu took Nunes from the field to the mats and then to the octagon.
“I already wanted to be a professional football player, join the Brazilian team, I even had a contract with Vitória da Bahia, but through my sister I ended up discovering jiu-jitsu, I tried it and fell in love with martial arts, that's where it started everything, in my adolescence”, he added.
Amanda (left) with Cobi Jones, former football player in the USA
3 – Good on the ground and with a heavy hand
Amanda nunes showed the power of his fists by knocking out Ronda Rousey at UFC 207. But anyone who thinks that the Brazilian has boxing as her main weapon is mistaken. Despite having 10 wins by knockout or technical knockout, the champion comes from jiu-jitsu. And it was with submission that she scored two important victories until the climax at UFC 207. In August 2015, Nunes submitted Sara McMann, former Olympic medalist. The peak came when the Brazilian managed a tight rear-naked choke on Miesha Tate, at UFC 200, to take the belt from the beautiful brunette.
4 – Quick on the trigger
After Ronda Rousey provoke the Brazilian, saying that Amanda gets tired in the second round of her fights, the champion showed that she doesn't need much time to end the disputes. When she won the belt, at the historic UFC 200, the Bahian ran over Miesha Tate in just 3m16s. Against Rousey she was even faster: 48 seconds. The total time in the two most important fights in the life of Amanda nunes They didn't even complete a full round: 4m06s.
Before that, the Lioness defeated Sara McMann, Shayna Baszler, Germain de Randamie and Sheila Gaff, all in the first round. Among all of Amanda's victories in the octagon, only Valentina Shevchenko He managed to survive the first round and only fell to the judges' decision.
5 – Fan of country music and 'cachaça'
Despite living in the United States, the celebration of the most important victory of his career will be in Brazil. And Amanda already knows what she will do when she arrives in the country: go to a country show and drink cachaça..
“I'm going to arrive in Brazil and I'm going to see my mother, my grandmother... And then I want to go to the Cabaré show, and Leonardo and Eduardo Costa. I really want to have a cachaça there”, said the champion still in the press room.
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