UFC 245 Fighter Profile: Amanda Nunes – The Lioness

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The career of Brazilian phenom, Amanda ‘The Lioness’ Nunes is quite remarkable. With a firm grasp on the UFC featherweight and bantamweight championship, Nunes is a standout candidate for the greatest female mixed-martial-artist accolade, to grace an Octagon, cage, or ring.

With an unmatched professional resume, the American Top Team staple holds victories over each and every former bantamweight champion, and the promotion’s current flyweight queen. A masterful striker in the boxing arts, and a capable Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, this weekend at UFC 245, Nunes faces a familiar-foe once more, as she looks to lodge another bantamweight title defense, against Germaine de Randamie.

The Bahia born striker, holds bragging rights against her Dutch striking counterpart, scoring a first round knockout via a barrage of elbows during their initial meeting almost seven years ago. Nunes has made incredible improvements to her overall game since, similarly to de Randamie. Apart from a loss to Cat Zingano, Nunes would go on to score eight wins on the trot. In that breath-taking streak, Nunes has stopped Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm, all within one round. Simply staggering.

Nunes spoiled the homecoming of Rousey and was widely considered an under-appreciated champion ahead of the tie, and within the opening minute, reminded not only the mixed-martial-arts community, but also the organization, and particular, the marketing department itself of her sheer stardom and ability, as she managed a first round knockout in one-sided fashion. Against compatriot, Cris Cyborg, Nunes once more scored an opening round finish, ending the decorated Curitiba native’s thirteen year undefeated run.

Against Holly Holm, Nunes displayed a cool and calculated performance, countering the Jackson-Wink MMA product with a picture-perfect right high kick to successfully retain her bantamweight crown for a fourth time. The only opponent to cause Nunes some strife in the Octagon other than Cat Zingano, is flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko, and with a victory over de Randamie, we may very well see a trilogy clash with the Kyrgyzstan counter fighter. A task which may be easier said than done, given the time that has passed.

de Randamie presents a realistic threat to Nunes’ reign as bantamweight champion there’s no doubt about it. She shares similar stopping-power, case in point, her one-punch knockout of Aspen Ladd recently, who had yet to be defeated ahead of the contest.

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Ross Markey

Senior writer for FightBook MMA. An aspiring mixed martial arts reporter based in Ireland. Producer of news articles, interviews, opinion features, and exclusive features such as, ‘The Fallout’, ‘The Breakdown, and, ‘This Week In MMA’.