“Raegan is a blessed baby…She makes me happy every second.” – Amanda Nunes
This weekend’s fight at UFC 259 will be the double champion Amanda Nunes’ first title defense as a mother. Mom champ Amanda Nunes is looking to make UFC history. Last September Amanda’s wife, fellow UFC fighter Nina Ansaroff, gave birth to their first child Raegan Ann Nunes.
Nunes and UFC 259
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“Going to keep me moving forward. Breaking records, having the belt,” Brazilian UFC champion “The Lioness” said in an interview with TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter. “This time is different though, I get to share with my daughter. See my hand being raised March 6, I want to dedicate it to her.”
March 6 at UFC 259 mom-champ Nunes (24-4) will defend her featherweight championship against Australia’s Megan Anderson (11-4). This is her first title defense since becoming a mother. Nunes’ wife Nina Ansaroff (10-6) has a fight scheduled for this coming April 10 against Mackenzie Dern (10-1). Despite being new mothers Nunes says that it has not affected her and her wife’s training schedule. “We can sleep, we can train, she can go to the gym and watch us…She’s a very happy baby. I take her to the gym every day with me.”
On Happiness
“Keeping me motivated,” Nunes says she loves her new role as mom champ, “Everything about being a mother, I cannot say only one thing. So happy, it was the best decision I ever made…To raise a baby, a little human, it’s amazing. I’ve been enjoying it every single day. Me and Nina fight to have her in our arms.”
Both new mothers are extremely happy in their new mother roles. Ansaroff, Amanda Nunes’ wife, wrote on Instagram shortly after the birth of Raegan Ann, “Will forever be my favorite day…Happy daughter’s day my beautiful girl.”
Amanda Nunes and Nina Ansaroff announced their engagement publicly on Instagram in August of 2018. The engaged couple posting side-by-side ring photos with the hashtags ‘#shesaidyes’ and ‘#isaidyes.’ Nunes is the first openly lesbian champion.
“The Lioness” Amanda Nunes
Before being the first mom champ in UFC history Amanda Nunes made history previously when she became the first woman in UFC history to hold two championship titles simultaneously and defend both. For her first title at bantamweight, she submitted then-champion Miesha Tate at UFC 200. Amanda Nunes won her second championship at featherweight, by knocking out fellow Brazilian champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino in just the first round. In addition, she’s defeated UFC champions Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, Holly Holm, and Germaine de Randamie.
The Lioness also holds records for most wins in UFC history among women, most wins in UFC title fights among women, most consecutive wins in UFC history among women, longest-reigning UFC champion of all-time among women, and most knockout wins in UFC Women’s Bantamweight division history. Nunes has defended her bantamweight crown five times, and once at featherweight. With a victory at UFC 259, it would make two.
Mom Champ Amanda Nunes
“Every time I wake in the morning she looks at me with that beautiful smile, it charges me for the rest of the day.” Amanda Nunes has found new motivation in being a mother, “That is the motivator. I want to share that moment with my daughter. That is going be another huge moment for me. Make history, you know, going to bring my baby into the cage.”
“She’s a good baby,” The mom champ said while smiling, “It give[s] me power.”
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