Amanda Nunes was able to show she’s more than just a striker in her UFC debut.
In 2013, 25-year-old Nunes (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC) was matched up with Shiela Gaff at UFC 163 in her home country of Brazil.
Nunes came out strong, firing heavy shots, then ducking under for the takedown. Gaff was able to defend, then transition to the back, but Nunes got out and eventually landed the takedown.
It didn’t take long after for Nunes to finish the fight. She was able to get full mount with relative ease, but Gaff used her strength to escape until she was taken right back down to the mat. Nunes rained down numerous elbows on Gaff until the referee stopped the fight.
It was the start of an incredible career for Nunes, who her ups and downs early in her UFC career, including a stoppage loss to Cat Zingano in her third fight with the promotion.
But after the loss to Zingano, Nunes went on a remarkable run en route to capturing both the bantamweight and featherweight titles, becoming the first woman in UFC history to hold two titles simultaneously.
She’s also looking to become the first fighter in promotional history to defend both titles. She’s scheduled to put her 145-pound title on the line against Felicia Spencer at UFC 250.
With the coronavirus outbreak, the fight will likely not happen May 9 in Brazil. But both fighters seem willing to compete if circumstances allow them to.
Ahead of that, check out Nunes’ win over Gaff in the video above.
