Amanda Nunes became the fourth ever UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion this past July at UFC 200 when she defeated Miesha Tate to win the championship, but now she has another honor to be proud of.
Nunes, this past Saturday in Los Angeles, was awarded the 2016 Equality Visibility Award at the 2016 Equality California Awards.
Nunes, who attended the event with fellow MMA fighter and girlfriend Nina Ansaroff, was given an award that honors those who are recognized for bringing greater awareness to civil rights issues facing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.
"When people find out how strong and powerful love is, then this world will be a better place…I want to see this happen one day. I'm going to do everything I can to support this community with a positive presence by sharing my love and showing everyone that I'm happy. My dream has come true and I want to share this with everyone and help a lot of people be themselves. I'm going to keep doing it until the world is better” said Nunes during her acceptance speech.
"We're incredibly proud of Amanda and how she lives and breathes the UFC maxim of ‘We Are All Fighters,'" said Ike Lawrence Epstein, the UFC's senior executive vice president and chief operating officer. "As UFC champ, Amanda is a visible figure in the sports world, so her dedication to living authentically is an inspiration to millions of fans around the world. She continues to demonstrate courage both inside and outside the Octagon, and that's what makes her a truly great champion."
Nunes is rumored to be defending her championship next against former champion Ronda Rousey at UFC 207, is also the unofficial spokesperson for the UFC’s “We Are All Fighters” campaign.
