What is Amanda Nunes' Net Worth?
Amanda Nunes is a Brazilian Mixed Martial Artist who has a net worth of $4 million. She is best known for competing in the UFC. Nunes has held a number of titles, including the Featherweight Championship and the Bantamweight Championship. Fans know her as one of the best female fighters of all time, having become the first-ever two-division UFC champion and one of the only fighters to hold two separate UFC titles at the same time. In addition, she is the first-ever fighter to defend two titles while holding both simultaneously. Amanda has frequently been ranked as the top-rated female fighter in the world.
Early Life
Amanda Lourenço Nunes was born on May 30th of 1988 in the small town of Pojuca, Brazil. She was raised by her mother after her parents split up and grew up on the outskirts of Salvador, Bahia. Her mother and two sisters experienced financial hardships during those early years, with her mother working numerous jobs to support the family. During this period, Amanda played on the streets and regularly got into trouble. Her mother was extremely strict but encouraged her to get involved with sports at an early age. This led to her initial dream of becoming a professional soccer player, but she was eventually dissuaded from pursuing a career when her mother told her to focus more on her studies.
Initially, Nunes was discouraged from pursuing a career as a fighter as well. Her family disapproved because they believed it was not a suitable career choice for a woman. However, they eventually warmed to the idea and have since become a strong source of support for Nunes.
Amanda first started training with her family members. Her uncle Jose Silva was a Vale Tudo fighter, and her mother was a skilled boxer. At the age of five, her mother signed her up for capoeira classes, and by the age of seven, she was training in karate. At the age of 16, Nunes started her first Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes. During this period, she also started boxing for the first time. Despite her young age and the fact that she was a woman, she quickly started to dominate her sparring partners, and it became clear that she was extremely talented.
At the age of 17, she moved to Salvador to train at the well-respected Edson Carvalho academy and was taught by Edson's brother, Ricardo. During this period, she trained in judo for the first time and earned the nickname "Leona," which translates to "lioness" in Portuguese. With few options, she started living at the gym, sleeping on the mat and cleaning the gym to earn her keep.
As she grew older, Nunes started competing in her first BJJ tournaments, winning gold medals in various divisions. After moving to the United States, Amanda trained at the AMA Fight Club in New Jersey and MMA Masters in Miami. As her career progressed, she eventually started training at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida.
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Career
Amanda made her professional debut in 2008, fighting at Prime MMA Championship 2. Unfortunately, this ended in a defeat, as she was submitted by Ana Maria via armbar in the first round. Things improved shortly afterward, however, with Nunes winning five straight fights before moving to Strikeforce. During this time, she became known for her knockout victories, beating many opponents within seconds of the first round, although she did lose one early fight against Alexis Davis.
Nunes then moved to Invicta FC, where she fought fighters such as Milana Dudieva, and Sarah D'Alelio, picking up a win and a loss, respectively. Amanda first appeared in the UFC in 2013, fighting and winning against Sheila Gaff at UFC 163. Further wins came against Germaine De Randamie, Shayna Baszler, Sarah McMann, and Valentina Shevchenko. However, she also lost against Cat Zingano.
In 2016, she was given a title shot against Miesha Tate at UFC 200. Nunes won the fight in the first round with a rear-naked choke, claiming the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship. In 2016, she successfully defended her title against Ronda Rousey, beating Rousey in the first round with a TKO after 48 seconds. Further successful title defenses followed, and she then faced Cris Cyborg for the Featherweight Championship. Nunes defeated Cyborg with a knockout after 51 seconds.
Over the next few years, Nunes continued to defend her two titles against numerous fighters, including Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie. Further title defenses were scheduled, but they all seemed to be canceled for various reasons. In 2021, she was expected to fight Julianna Pena, but she had to pull out due to Covid-19. Finally, she faced Pena and lost in a massive upset, handing over her bantamweight title in the process.
Relationships
Amanda Nunes is married to fellow UFC fighter Nina Nunes. In 2020, the couple welcomed their first child into the world, which Nina gave birth to.
UFC Earnings
At UFC 207, Nunes fought Ronda Rousey for a sum of $100,000, plus a fight bonus of an additional $100,000. In contrast, Rousey earned $3 million for simply showing up. In 2020, it was revealed that Amanda Nunes was earning higher payouts than many other fighters in the UFC, with a purse of $450,000 for beating Felicia Spencer at the UFC 250 main event. The second-highest-paid fighter on the card was Cody Garbrandt, who earned just $260,000 for his defeat of Raphael Assuncao.
