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There's no denying Amanda Nunes' greatness and status as an all-time great in MMA.
Since women became eligible to compete in MMA, many have made the case for why they should be considered the 'greatest of all-time'. However, none have made a stronger case than Amanda Nunes.
'The Lioness' began her professional MMA career in 2008 by competing at regional MMA events in Brazil. Nunes' pro debut didn't exactly go according to plan, as she was submitted in 35-seconds of the first round.
Nunes' debut loss was a great learning experience as she regrouped and ended up winning her next three fights. The fights didn't last very long at all as her first win came at 11-seconds of the first round due to a corner stoppage. Nunes then followed that up by defeating her next opponent by TKO in ten-seconds.
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After winning her fifth straight fight, Nunes began attracting interest from Strikeforce and she ended up signing with the promotion. Nunes went 1-1 in Strikeforce. It wasn't until she signed with the UFC that she began to show why she's an all-time great.
Here are five reasons why Amanda Nunes is the greatest female fighter of all-time.
#5. Amanda Nunes' career longevity
Since beginning her career in 2008, Amanda Nunes has remained active in every promotion she's been signed to. For the majority of her career, Nunes has not only remained active, she's done it at the top of her divisions on a consistent basis.
Nunes' remaining active and performing at a high level is significant because she hasn't shyed away from the pressure. Many fighters have taken a hiatus from the sport as a result of the added pressures that accompany success.
A prominent example is UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre. In 2013, St-Pierre vacated his UFC welterweight championship after retaining it against Johny Hendricks. The main reason being that he needed a break from the mental stress of MMA. Meanwhile, Nunes has had to deal with the mental strain of being a simultaneous two-division champion.
It's not as easy as it sounds as champions basically go the extra mile for the promotion. Especially when taking into account all the expectations that come along with being a UFC champion, Nunes' longevity becomes more impressive.
#4. Amanda Nunes is a two-division UFC champion
Another reason why Amanda Nunes is the GOAT of women's MMA is because she is a two-division UFC champion.
At UFC 200, Nunes won her first championship when she defeated then-UFC women's bantamweight champion Miesha Tate by first-round submission. It was a one-sided fight that saw her bloody Tate with heavy shots before submitting her with a rear-naked choke. With the win, Nunes added her name to the short list of UFC bantamweight champions.
Nunes would continue to make history and end up accomplishing something no other female MMA fighter has. At UFC 232, she moved up to 145lbs for a superfight with then-UFC women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg.
Usually, Cyborg was the feared striker in previous bouts and it seemed her opponents were defeated before getting into the octagon. That was not the case for Nunes, as she quickly defeated Cyborg and made history.
Nunes quickly knocked out Cyborg seconds in to win the featherweight strap. She joined Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier as the only UFC fighters at the time to simultaneously hold two UFC titles.
#3. Amanda Nunes has defended two UFC championships multiple times
Another reason why Nunes is the GOAT of women's MMA is because she has defended both her titles multiple times.
Prior to defeating Cyborg for the women's featherweight championship, Nunes had successfully defended the bantamweight championship three times. She defended against former and future champions Ronda Rousey and Valentina Shevchenko, as well as Raquel Pennington.
Instead of vacating her bantamweight championship and remaining at featherweight permanently, Nunes returned to 135lbs. She defended her title twice against Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie. Those were significant victories for Nunes. She had then defeated every former UFC women's bantamweight and women's featherweight champion.
The title defenses made her the greatest champion in women's MMA by a large margin.
#2. Amanda Nunes' victories are becoming more dominant
Another reason why Amanda Nunes is the GOAT of women's MMA is because her victories are becoming more dominant.
Since beating Cris Cyborg, it seems as if Nunes has evolved as a fighter. Nunes' first UFC women's featherweight title defense against Felicia Spencer was one of the most one-sided fights in UFC history.
Although it went to the judges' scorecards, there was no question Nunes would be getting her raised. To put her dominance into perspective, the judges scored the bout 50-44, 50-44, and 50-45 in favor of Nunes.
She completely dismantled Megan Anderson in her last title defense and only needed two minutes to submit her with an armbar. Nunes made quick work of Anderson and defended the UFC women's featherweight championship for the second time. Anderson couldn't get any offense in against Nunes, despite the fact that she was coming off back-to-back first-round wins.
Nunes' dominance is similar to Anderson Silva's title reign, in the vein of fans wondering how she'll win as opposed to if she'll win. Nunes has been difficult to deal with in all areas of MMA. She is a powerful striker with one-punch knockout power, has excellent grappling, and is extremely durable. As a result, she is an overwhelming favorite against all possible opponents.
At only 33-years-old, Nunes still has plenty of time left in the sport. If her recent fights are an indicator, she will further distance herself more and leave no debate that she's the GOAT.
#1. Amanda Nunes continues to set records in the UFC
The UFC is viewed as the premier MMA promotion, so the fact Nunes continues to set records is impressive in itself. One thing is certain is the more records somebody sets, the greater their argument is. Nunes' UFC records are outstanding and they make it difficult to argue against her being the GOAT of women's MMA.
As UFC women's bantamweight champion, Amanda Nunes has the fourth longest single title-reign in UFC history.
Nunes is the only female in the top-five, which includes Anderson Silva, Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, and Jose Aldo. Nunes' nine-wins in title fights are the most wins in UFC history for women's title fights. The wins are impressive because they were against former UFC, Strikeforce, and Invicta FC champions.
Additionally, her 14 UFC wins are the most among the UFC women's divisions. She also currently holds the record for most stoppage wins in the UFC women's bantamweight division. Finally, her 12-fight win streak is the UFC's second longest active win streak, trailing only UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
