Las Vegas, Nevada — UFC 259 marked the twelfth consecutive time Amanda Nunes has had her hand raised.
The double champ, holding gold at bantamweight and featherweight, has torn through a murderer’s row of opponents in the past several years. Names like Cyborg, Holm, Rousey, and Tate. Six UFC champions, three Invicta FC champions, three Strikeforce champions, and two Olympic medal winners pepper her resume during her current winning streak.
Megan Anderson, Nunes’ latest conquest, didn’t last long — rocked on the feet, submitted on the ground.
Speaking at the post-fight press conference to media outlets including Cageside Press, Nunes said she was “Very happy. Very very happy. Very special for me, and to share this with my baby was amazing.”
Nunes, who has a newborn daughter with wife Nina Ansaroff, was pulling double duty as fighter and mom this week — with Raegan Ann Nunes on hand for the fight. Albeit too young yet to appreciate it.
After another strong performance as a featherweight, Nunes was asked Saturday if she was more comfortable at 145lbs than at bantamweight. “Yeah definitely. I feel more powerful, and the diet is better for me,” replied Nunes. “Easy. I feel really comfortable in this weight class.”
With so many feats already accomplished, what keeps Nunes going at this point? “I feel like memories, wth my family. And keeping it going — my legacy. This is my job, I love to do this. I love to go to the gym and train and get better and better.” Nunes feels that as she has gotten older, she’s actually become a better fighter. “I want to keep it going and then see what it going to happen for sure.”
In a division — two really — with few challengers left, Nunes remains open to fighting all comers.
“I feel like if you don’t want to get challenged, you are in the wrong sport. This is MMA, you have to get challenged,” the double champ stated. “You have to have all those girls call your name, [saying] ‘I’m the best.’ Everybody is going to be calling me [out] right now. Even the girls in other shows are going to call me out. It is what it is, no matter what I’m going to step in the cage and I’m going to defend my belt.”
As for being on the brink of another record — few fighters in the UFC have surpassed 12 straight wins, male or female — Nunes said “it’s amazing. I feel like all my dreams have come true. I’ve been working for this. And I look forward to breaking the records of course.” Among all UFC fighters, only Max Holloway, Jon Jones, Georges St. Pierre, Demetrious Johnson, and Khabib Nurmagomedov have 13 straight wins inside the octagon. Only one fighter has more: Anderson Silva holds the all-time record at 16 straight victories in the UFC.”
“I’m happy, I feel like I’m gonna do it,” said Nunes. “I’m going to break this record, I’m going to get it.”
Watch the full UFC 259 post-fight press conference with Amanda Nunes above.
