Amanda Nunes to be inducted into UFC Hall of Fame

Amanda Nunes will forever be immortalized in UFC history.

The promotion made sure of it on Saturday when it announced that "The Lioness" will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame's modern wing as part of the 2025 class.

Nunes will be just the third female inductee in UFC history. She'll also be the 15th member of the modern wing.

The Brazilian had one of the most impressive decade-long runs in MMA history (23-5) as she left the UFC banner with a 16-2 record.

“Amanda Nunes is the greatest female fighter of all-time,” said UFC President & CEO Dana White in a statement following the announcement. “Amanda was a great champion who had one of the most legendary careers in combat sports history. She is an incredible person, and it will be an honor to induct her into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

En route to capturing the bantamweight and featherweight crowns, Nunes picked up wins over the likes of now-fellow Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey, former flyweight champ Valentina Schevchenko (twice), former featherweight champs Germaine De Randamie and Cris Cyborg, and former bantamweight champs Meisha Tate, Holly Holm and Raquel Pennington.

Nunes was the only two-division champion to compete in both weight classes and defend both belts simultaneously. Her reign at bantamweight began in 2016 with a first-round submission win over Tate and included five consecutive title defences with a featherweight title-clinching victory squeezed in between. She would successfully defend the featherweight title twice before refocusing her attention on the bantamweight ranks.

The now 36-year-old eventually lost the 135-pound title to Pena in 2021 but swiftly recaptured it in a rematch a couple of months later ahead of one final title defence — beating Irene Aldana at UFC 289 in Vancouver — before retiring in 2023.

She seemingly didn't see the announcement coming, as Nunes was in tears while receiving an ovation from the Kaseya Center crowd at UFC 314 in Miami on Saturday. She later added that "they got me good" when speaking to reporters about the surprise news of her upcoming induction.

Nunes enters the UFC Hall of Fame with one of the most impressive resumes ever, which includes:

• First woman to become a two-divison champion
• Longest win streak in UFC women's history (12)
• Most title fights in UFC women's history (11)
• Most finishes in UFC women's history (10)
• Most first-round finishes in UFC women's history (9)
• Most knockouts in UFC women's history (9)
• Second-most wins in UFC women's history (16)

The 2025 UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place as part of the 13th annual International Fight Week on June 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Despite Saturday's announcement standing as a celebration of her illustrious career, Nunes made it known that she's not done fighting for good just yet. According to Sportsnet's Aaron Bronsteter, following the induction news, Nunes told a scrum of reporters that she will make her return to the UFC to take on the winner between bantamweight champion Pena and No. 2-ranked Kayla Harrison. The pair will go head-to-head for the belt in the UFC 316 co-main event in June.