Today in MMA History: Amanda Nunes finishes Ronda Rousey for good at UFC 207

It’s strange to think about now, but Amanda Nunes basically was an afterthought heading into UFC 207 on December 30, 2016.

Yes, Nunes was the women’s bantamweight champion, making her first title defense after dominating Miesha Tate. But the focus leading up to UFC 207 was squarely on her opponent, Ronda Rousey.

Rousey – who, along with Liz Carmouche, was the first woman to compete in the UFC on Feb. 23, 2013 – was an absolute force for two-plus years, racking up six consecutive title defenses and becoming one of the biggest stars the promotion’s ever had. She was a media darling, doing what few MMA fighters can by crossing over into the mainstream in a major way.

Everything changed on Nov. 15, 2015, when Holly Holm shocked the world and demolished Rousey at UFC 193, winning by knockout in front of 56,000 fans at Ethiad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. In the ensuing weeks and months, Rousey placed much of the blame for her performance on media obligations and the pressure of promotion. Aside from a “Saturday Night Live” hosting gig and a couple of talk show appearances, Rousey wasn’t seen or heard from for much of 2016 – until she reemerged as Nunes’ first title challenger.

Rousey didn’t do any interviews and wasn’t required to do any promotion for the fight by the UFC so she could focus on reclaiming her title. All that did was amplify the intrigue of how she’d rebound from the biggest upset loss in UFC history.

It didn’t turn out well for Rousey, with Nunes needing just 48 seconds to light her up for a TKO finish.

Dec30.2016

4 years ago today,

Amanda Nunes lit Ronda Rousey up like a Christmas tree. pic.twitter.com/Ta3JqaMYWk

— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) December 30, 2020

Rousey, never stepped foot inside the octagon again and turned her attention to WWE before being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2018. Four years later, Nunes has become a simultaneous two-division UFC champ and the consensus GOAT of women’s MMA.

You can watch Nunes’ dominant win in the video above.

“Today in MMA History” is an MMAjunkie series created in association with MMA History Today, the social media outlet dedicated to reliving “a daily journey through our sport’s history.”