The UFC women’s bantamweight champion believes that the UFC has no interest in promoting her as she isn’t marketable in the aesthetic sense
Nunes has previously insisted that she has to work harder than other fighters, past and present, who benefit from their ‘beauty’.
“The Lionness” told ESPN in the run-up to her canceled UFC 213 bout against Valentina Shevchenko that she had to ‘work harder’ as a result of not having what she believes are the appealing looks of other fighters such as Paige VanZant and Ronda Rousey:
“I’m not beautiful, and I’ve accepted that,” Nunes said. “I really have to prove it to get that recognition. If you want to promote me, promote me,” she said. “I’m going to do what I want, get my money and go home.”
Nunes reiterated this sentiment prior to the rearranged bout with Shevchenko at UFC 215:
“I know I’m not the beautiful girl and I don’t have the blonde hair and the blue eyes,” Nunes told Yahoo! Sports. “I am not the kind of face the UFC wants to put out there, but I’m okay with that. I’m going to live my life and be happy. If the UFC decides to promote me that would be awesome, but I trust them. The UFC knows what they are doing.”
“If they think they should promote someone else, fine. Just give me the fights and let me do my job and I will be happy. Whatever the UFC decides is fine with me. I’m just a fighter and that’s just what I want to do more than anything else: Let me fight.”
Nunes once again touched upon this subject in a recent interview with Flo Combat. Nunes believes that she will benefit from the same level of promotion that the likes of Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm had while champions of the 135-pound division:
“There’s a point where, sometimes, I’d rather wait a bit and get a fight that sells. It’s all about pay-per-view, everything revolves around that and I don’t really get a part of that. I don’t really fit the profile of a UFC champion, but they have to do [business] with me, even though they’re never going to promote me to a level like they did Ronda Rousey or Holly Holm. They want blondies, cute little girls who fight and take pictures. Let’s face it, I have to face the girls who sell best.”
Nunes took to Twitter on Sunday to make light of recent claims she believes were taken out of context somewhat by the promotion:
I think I have a chance now. only miss the blue eyes ??????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/T5segvfgjo
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) November 26, 2017
Calm down everyone. I’m not mad at the UFC. I genuinely think its funny that they picked this quote/photo from the entire interview. Besides I don’t blame them, as I had the same idea as they did ??
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) November 27, 2017
