Former UFC women’s featherweight and bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes will be inducted into the modern wing of the UFC Hall of Fame at a ceremony during International Fight Week in Las Vegas on June 26.
Interestingly, the announcement, which was made during the UFC 314 broadcast, comes just as Nunes is teasing a return to the Octagon.
Nunes, 36, responded with tears and shock before later revealing that her time away from the fight game might be ending.
“They surprised me. I didn’t expect it at all,” Nunes said. “I love this game. I love the fight. And I miss it so much. I honestly have a hard time being away. I tried everything. I tried maybe coaching, maybe doing this and that, but I’m a fighter, you know? I’m a lioness. I cannot be away from this game, [and I am] so ready to get back here, but tonight was amazing.”
A native of Pojuca, Bahia, Brazil, Nunes is a veteran of 15 years but came into her own in 2016 when she submitted Miesha Tate at UFC 200 to become the women’s bantamweight champion. She followed that performance by knocking out Ronda Rousey in her first title defense.
Nunes added more gold to her trophy case when she knocked out Cris Cyborg for the featherweight title and became the first woman to hold championships in two weight classes simultaneously. She is also the first and only UFC fighter to defend titles in two divisions while holding both titles simultaneously.
Nunes holds UFC women’s records for most title fight wins (11), most finishes (10) and most consecutive wins (12).
She retired on June 10, 2023, after defending her 135-pound title against Irene Aldana.
But Nunes, widely regarded as the greatest women’s fighter of all time, seems to believe that she might have retired prematurely. With a potential blockbuster showdown with Kayla Harrison — who faces Julianna Peña for the bantamweight title at UFC 316 — looming, the opportunity to conquer a new challenge might be pulling her back into the fight game.
“I feel like the whole thing with Kayla Harrison motivated me,” Nunes said about the former two-time PFL tournament champion winner. “She got in the UFC and that was a big thing. She used to talk about me all the time in interviews, and so I said, ‘You know what? I don’t have any injuries, I’m good. I’m still training, I’m still healthy, so why not?’ It’s a good challenge, and my whole career I’m moved by challenges. I love that feeling.”
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