Amanda Nunes is getting awfully used to being on top.
Widely regarded as the greatest fighter of all time in the women’s divisions, Nunes notched a pair of UFC title defenses in 2019 to once again claim MMA Junkie’s “Female Fighter of the Year,” the second year in a row she’s claimed the honor.
A dual-division champion, Nunes focused on the 135-pound weight class in 2019, starting in July with a highly-anticipated battle with former champ Holly Holm. “The Preacher’s Daughter” is certainly a formidable striker, but Nunes proved to be a cut above, utilizing a Holm signature strike with a high kick to send her crashing to the canvas in the opening round. A few more punches on the floor sealed the result for “The Lioness.”
It was vicious. It was impressive. It was the sixth UFC champion Nunes, who also holds the 145-pound belt, has defeated in her run.
In December, Nunes returned to action against a dangerous Germaine de Randamie, who insisted the champ wasn’t likely to stand and trade with her. The Dutch challenger (and former UFC featherweight champ) was right, but in many ways, it simply showed the greatness of Nunes’ game – she has options available, and if it makes more sense to utilize a controlling ground game to nullify your chances of victory, she’ll do exactly that.
Nunes is not just a dangerous, powerful striker, despite her growing reputation on the feet with a growing list of highlight finishes over the likes of Holm, Cris Cyborg, Raquel Pennington and Ronda Rousey. She can pick the poison she wants to use.
Valentina Shevchenko also had a pair of wins in 2019, including a “Knockout of the Year” candidate, but “The Bullet” was facing less feared opponents than Nunes. Zhang Weili’s 42-second destruction of Jessica Andrade to claim UFC gold also earned a serious look. But Nunes’ performances against the sport’s best and her ability to seemingly compete on an absolute different level than anyone else in her division make her a transcendent athlete at the moment.
Add in her ability to represent herself, her squad at American Top Team and the sport of MMA, itself, with the utmost of class and professionalism, and Nunes is once again MMA Junkie’s “Female Fighter of the Year.”
In 2020, Nunes has vowed to defend both of her belts, and by all indications, she might very well be in the discussion again for this same honor in 12 months’ time.
MMA Junkie's 2019 'Female Fighter of the Year': Amanda Nunes repeats
