One of the most accomplished fighters in UFC history returns to the octagon Saturday to try to avenge a recent loss and reclaim her champ-champ status. Amanda Nunes isn’t concerned about becoming an icon of her country.
Nunes has defeated a who’s who of UFC stars between 2015 and 2021, but she still isn’t as beloved as legends like Jose Aldo, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cris Cyborg, the last of whom she knocked out in 2018.
“I think it’s because I live here [in the United States], and my career really started here in the UFC and in big promotions like Strikeforce,” Nunes said on Trocacao Franca. “I needed to leave Brazil because otherwise, I wouldn’t have quit fighting. It’s all about sponsorships in Brazil, you know what it is.
” When the chance presented itself and I was offered opportunities, I accepted them and am grateful for what I have become. I’m not sure if [Brazilians] prefers more people who remain in Brazil. Maybe they don’t like me — really, what can I do?”
Nunes, who still holds the featherweight crown, battles Julianna Pena for the bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 277 in Dallas.
Nunes fought once as a champion in Brazil, headlining UFC 224 against Raquel Pennington right after back-to-back wins over Ronda Rousey and Valentina Shevchenko. The bout took place in front of 10,696 fans, the second-lowest attendance in eight UFC events at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro.
Going into her seventh U.S. fight and first in Texas, “The Lioness” said she doesn’t waste any time thinking what could be done to up her numbers.
“That doesn’t even cross my mind today,” Nunes said. Nunes said, “I swear that I’ve forgotten about it.” It’s my greatest pleasure to get in the cage and do what I love. Financially speaking, my life is great. I also do the best for my family. That’s all that matters to me. [Nina Nunes and I] are living such a wonderful moment in our lives now with [our daughter] Reagan — life has changed so much. Many blessings and love. She brought so much happiness for us.
“And that, man, I swear, about popularity [in Brazil] — many people say we need to be popular to have sponsors and all. Although I may not be as popular in Brazil, I am well-known here in America. All my sponsors are from here and Europe. I have a great life, [am] financially stable with my sponsors, and that’s it, man. I never had any opportunity with a Brazilian company until this day. So, to me, my life here is better.
“People give me love when I go to my hometown, talk to me and take pictures. We really feel that love. Maybe [I don’t have that] on social media, but when I go to Brazil, people recognize me. [But] My life is here. Everything I do is a way to make money. Anything. When I go on vacation, it’s always a good thing to get paid. When I visit a bar or restaurant, or make an appearance at a party, nobody offers me a free .”
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Nunes loves Brazil and plans to fly back to Bahia to visit her family, which she hasn’t been able to do since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is impossible to move back full-time.
” If you ask many people whether they would like to move out of Brazil, the answer is yes. Each person is entitled to their opinion [in the United States]. about whether they want to stay in Brazil. No one is more Brazilian than anyone else. I love the country I was born in, but everybody seeks what’s best for them, where they will have the best opportunities and get well-paid.”
