Din Thomas reflects on memorable Amanda Nunes gameplan heading into Ronda Rousey fight

Din Thomas has devised many gameplans for some of the best fighters in MMA, but one moment in particular stands out.

Former fighter-turned-coach Thomas helped Amanda Nunes ahead of her first UFC bantamweight title defense against Ronda Rousey in 2016.

Nunes (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC) was the betting underdog going into the fight, which baffled Thomas, considering the amount of holes he saw in Rousey’s striking game. It didn’t take long for Nunes to fully capitalize on them, as she unleashed a barrage of punches to finish Rousey in just 48 seconds at UFC 207. It was a proud moment for Thomas, who saw the shortcomings in Rousey’s game that so many others had not prior to her stunning loss to Holly Holm one year earlier.

“I think the first one that I really invested so much into, that I put into, was Amanda and Ronda Rousey,” Thomas told MMA Junkie Radio. “And this was when I was like, ‘This is a fool’s bet.’ Because Amanda was the underdog in that fight, I think. After studying Ronda, I realized that she was ‘smoke and mirrors,’ is what I could say, and she wasn’t as good as everybody thought she was. She did some things better than everybody else, but she wasn’t as good as everybody thought she was.

“So I put a lot of effort into that, and I watched her, and I saw that she would throw punches at the same time with two different hands, and she was really awkward in certain spots. So I was like, ‘Wow, this is gonna be a really easy fight for Amanda.’ And it turned out to be a really easy fight for Amanda.”

Thomas recently announced his departure from American Top Team but will still work with the likes of former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, flyweight Gillian Robertson and heavyweight Greg Hardy as he branches out on his own.