Amanda Nunes

Bio:
Amanda Nunes (born Amanda Lourenco Nunes on May 30, 1988 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil) is a Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Amanda grew up in a small town with very little outside of family and food. She took up boxing at age 16. A year later, Amanda’s older sister invited her to visit the town’s jiu-jitsu dojo. Amanda signed up for lessons and would eventually make her MMA debut in 2008. Though she lost her first match against Ana Maria, she would win her next five fights, all by knockout. In 2011, Amanda appeared in Strikeforce, and one of her highlights was knocking out Julia Budd in just 14 seconds. She fought in Invicta FC in 2013, and made her UFC debut that year at UFC 163 in Brazil. She won her fight against Sheila Gaff via TKO in the first round. From 2015 to 2016, Amanda won three straight fights, earning her a UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship title shot at UFC 200. She defeated Miesha Tate for the gold on July 9, 2016. She was set to defend the title for the first time at UFC 207 on Dec. 30, 2016 against the returning Ronda Rousey.

Best Known For:
Amanda Nunes is best known as a MMA fighter and Miesha Tate’s UFC 200 opponent.

Personal Life:
Amanda’s nickname is The Lioness or Leona. Amanda is romantically involved with fellow MMA fighter, Nina Ansaroff, She has a pet hedgehog named Veceslao and they pose together on her Instagram. In addition to fighting, Amanda enjoys hiking and partying with friends. She supports the Barcelona soccer team, as her favorite player is fellow Brazilian midfielder/forward, Ronaldinho.