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Amanda Nunes says she's the GOAT of MMA, regardless of gender

Jack Baer
Staff writer

Once Amanda Nunes dropped Cris Cyborg with a devastating right hand at UFC 232, there was a very clear takeaway from her shocking 51-second KO win: Nunes was jumping out of the Octagon as the greatest female fighter in the history of mixed martial arts.

After all, what else is there to say about a woman who has beaten Cyborg (in 51 seconds), Ronda Rousey (in 48 seconds), Miesha Tate (in less than four minutes), Valentina Shevchenko (twice) and so many others on her way to the first double-belt status in women’s UFC history? Nunes likely has a few fights still ahead of her, but, for now, she stands atop the mountain of women’s MMA history.

However, the fighter herself apparently has an objection to that last part. According to an interview with TMZ, Nunes is ready to call herself the greatest fighter ever, male or female.

Amanda Nunes crowns herself the GOAT of MMA

When initially asked by TMZ if she was the greatest fighter in women’s MMA history, Nunes found about four different ways to answer the question with “yes.”

From TMZ:

I’m 100 percent sure. I think everybody says that. Everybody. It’s not even a question anymore. This is my answer: yes, yes, yes, I am.

After that affirmative answer, Nunes was asked if she was willing to expand that statement to all of MMA, with Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre mentioned as other possibilities. Again, Nunes voted for herself:

Yeah, definitely. I just beat the most dominant woman on the planet. I just beat the girl, all these female fighters are scared, I just beat that girl everybody thought nobody was ever going to beat again. Ever. She only loses one time in her life and one time after that she never loses for 13 years. I think it was 13 years. I take that fight and it’s only 51 seconds. That is amazing. I’m supposed to be considered everything. The best fighter, the best whatever. I’m supposed to be the No. 1.

So that’s definitely a bold statement to make, though it’s not even the only time an athlete has stated they are the GOAT thanks to an impressive win in the last week. Then again, it’s also hard to blame Nunes for not feeling confident after her absolute demolition of Cyborg.

Amanda Nunes holds the belts for UFC’s women’s bantamweight and featherweight divisions, with two wins over the current women’s flyweight champion as well. (Getty Images)
Amanda Nunes holds the belts for UFC’s women’s bantamweight and featherweight divisions, with two wins over the current women’s flyweight champion as well. (Getty Images)

Nunes currently sits at eighth on the UFC pound-for-pound rankings, behind all three of the fighters mentioned by TMZ as well as Khabib Nurmagomedov, Max Holloway, TJ Dillashaw and Tyron Woodley.

Whoever agrees and disagrees with her, Nunes now belongs on the short list of UFC superstars and she’s going to have plenty of hardware to show off as she navigates that landscape.

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