UFC 259: Amanda Nunes makes a compelling case as the new ‘GOAT’ in MMA – man or woman
- ‘The Lioness’ just punished Megan Anderson in one of the most convincing title defences in recent memory
- Now Nunes needs to be thrown into the conversation with Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre as the sport’s best
Megan Anderson has to be one of the most visually intimidating female UFC fighters out there. Aside from Cris Cyborg, Anderson looks like a physical specimen and handcrafted to be a mixed martial artist.
She stands six feet even (1.83 metres), and is covered in tattoos. Her shoulders are broad and her reach is phenomenal at 72 inches (183 centimetres). Anderson (11-5) has rag dolled some featherweight contenders throughout her career. She earned a title shot by dispatching both Norma Dumont Viana and Zarah Fairn Dos Santos in relatively easy fashion, with a knockout and submission victory.
Lots of fighters have cleaned out divisions – think Jon Jones or Khabib Nurmagomedov – but Nunes has now done that in two weight classes, and in spectacular fashion. She has run rampant through fighters, winning in various ways, knockouts, submissions and unanimous decisions where there was no debate in who won after five rounds.
After the fight, commentator Joe Rogan asked the obvious question: who do you fight now? It’s a legitimate one because anyone in either of those divisions is probably shaking their head right now thinking fighting the 32-year-old Brazilian masterclass is like picking out coffins before your funeral.
“The plan was exactly how I finished the fight,” she said. “I’m here. I don’t have a lot of girls out there who want this opportunity. I think I’m getting older, I’m getting good. I’ve been training hard. I’m training with the best at American Top Team. I get strong, I’m getting better. I feel very good in this weight class. I feel amazing.”
The last time Nunes lost was back in 2014 and since then she has railed off 12 straight victories against some veritable opponents including Valentina Shevchenko, Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey. Oh yeah, and Cyborg, who many thought was the future of the women’s MMA world when she faced off against Nunes in December of 2018, didn’t even make it out of the first round.
The case to be made is an interesting one. There isn’t even a shadow of a doubt Nunes is the greatest female UFC fighter of all-time – it’s open and shut. But with her second defence of her second belt, should we start talking about her as the new MMA “GOAT” (greatest of all-time)?
Now we are stacking Nunes up against names like Jones and Nurmagomedov, along with Canadian Georges St-Pierre and Fedor Emelianenko. What Nunes has accomplished is so impressive we can’t deny her that conversation any more.
On top of this was a compelling juxtaposition. Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya tried to move up a weight class to light heavyweight, but lost a decision to Jan Blachowicz, detailing just how hard it is to grab two belts, let alone hang onto either one of them.
The only fighter anyone thinks could have a chance against her now would be Shevchenko, however she has returned to flyweight after being beat by Nunes not once, but twice. And Cyborg has left the UFC altogether, and Julianna Pena doesn’t necessarily strike fear into anyone’s heart given she’s lost two of her last four tilts. To be blunt, there is no one out there to challenge her and the UFC must recognise that now.
After another victory, Nunes celebrated with her wife Nina Ansaroff and their new child, a baby girl named Reagen. Nunes said becoming a mother has made her an even more ferocious fighter as she now has someone to compete for, her daughter.
If that doesn’t scare every single female fighter in both the bantamweight and featherweight class into passing on fighting her next, I don’t know what would. The only UFC fighter to successfully defend two belts more than once, it’s time to start the “GOAT” chatter.
