“A lot of people thought she could, a lot of people thought she couldn’t, but then you get out there and Cyborg tries to bully women and Amanda stood right in there and bullied the bully and ended up viciously knocking her out.”
Where some fighters can be too caught up in the action to stop and smell the roses, Nunes has made a point to appreciate those career-defining moments like her wins over Rousey and Cyborg and the indelible impact she’s having on the sport as a whole, all while continuing to defend her place at the top of two weight classes.
“Every time that I’m at home, I see the belts — I look up at all of them and I remember all those moments,” said Nunes, who has her collection of UFC titles hanging over the fireplace in the home she shares with her partner, UFC strawweight contender Nina Ansaroff. “Life is made up of moments and we have to remember every single one over and over, and with my career in the UFC, it’s really enjoyable to relive every single moment.”
Reflecting on her journey to the top of two divisions, Nunes points to two key influences that helped her reach her full potential and become the superstar talent she is today: early setbacks that forced her to continually improve and her relationship with Ansaroff.
“Nobody likes to lose, but it feels like it has to happen for you to learn from your mistakes and that happened with me,” said Nunes, who lost two of her final three bouts before arriving in the UFC and was beaten by Cat Zingano in her third Octagon appearance at UFC 178, which remains the last time she was defeated inside the cage.
“I had to lose a couple times to really be able to find my way to the top and I feel like those losses helped me a lot. I did a lot of things to find all the mistakes I was making and what I needed to get better and now I’m here.