MMA Star Amanda Nunes in Two-Piece UFC Gear Says “I Can Do Anything”

MMA and UFC fighter Amanda Nunes is displaying the self-confidence that led her to a stellar fighting career. Nunes, 35, shared a picture of herself posing against a green screen in UFC shorts and a tank top, looking tough and ready to fight. “I can do anything!” she captioned the post. Nunes has earned her reputation as one of the most skilled fighters in MMA—here’s how she stays fit and strong for whatever is next.

1. Home Gym

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Nunes’s training gym is an extension of her home. “I'm in a new place, too, so make everything easy,” she tells Laura Sanko on One on One. “Upstairs, I have a place to rest. I don't need to go back home, drive home, and then go back to the gym. So when I'm done with my training in the morning, I stay in my studio upstairs. I have a very nice setup with the kitchen, and living room for rest. Reagan's playground, too. So we have a pretty comfortable gym to stay right after training, get rest, and jump in the next class, you know.”

2. Weight Training Sessions

Nunes’ workout is heavily focused on weight training. “Before beginning strength training, consider warming up with brisk walking or another aerobic activity for five or 10 minutes,” the Mayo Clinic advises. “Cold muscles are more prone to injury than are warm muscles. Choose a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions. When you can easily do more repetitions of a certain exercise, gradually increase the weight or resistance.”

3. New Training Camp

Nunes’ camp is different now she is no longer working with her old team at ATT [American Top Team]. “I’m grateful for everything I did with them, they helped me a lot,” she tells Sanko. “We did great things. But I want to do it on my own now. My training has been great… We've been walking. And the new [coach] is the jiu jitsu coach. He's a fighter too. So that was an easy introduction to my camp too, and amazing. I pretty much keep the same kind of schedule that I used to have when I became a champion. When I become a double champion, of course, I just put in more things, new things, and change a couple of things, but no injuries at all.”

4. Pool Time

Nunes’ social media shows her frequently hitting the pool with her family. “As cardiovascular exercises go, swimming offers a little less wear and tear on the body than other options,” exercise physiologist Christopher Travers, MS, tells Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. “It’s a good choice for just about anyone. When you swim, you’re getting better aerobic capacity, and you’re working your muscles because you’re working against the resistance of the water.”

5. Horseback Riding

Nunes enjoys horseback riding (she really is good at everything). “Recreational horseback riders report a significantly higher sense of physical and emotional well-being and happiness than people who don’t enjoy the companionship of animals,” says the American Heart Association. “More than 80% of riders claim that horseback riding created feelings of relaxation and happiness.”

Amanda Nunes is one of the most successful female MMA fighters out there. She recently hit the gym for a training session. She shared a photo on Instagram of herself and her trainer. Nunes was seen in black workout gear. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Amanda Nunes stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She Runs

One thing Nunes likes to do to stay in shape is going for runs. She shared this video on Instagram of herself running with cows. Valley Oaks states that running has a lot of health benefits. “Running has a wide variety of health benefits like improving blood pressure, building heart muscles, and strengthening bones. Beyond the physical benefits, running is also proven to positively impact your mental health.”

2. She Horseback Rides

Nunes likes to go horseback riding to stay in shape. Nunes shared these photos and a video on Instagram of herself and her wife going riding. The American Heart Association states that riding has a lot of health benefits. “One of the benefits of regular exercise is lowered blood pressure; horseback riding is exercise. Lower blood pressure can reduce the risk of heart disease. Plus just being around animals has been shown to do that as well.”

3. She Swims

Nunes likes to swim to stay in shape. She shares a lot of posts on Instagram of herself in the water. Nunes shared this photo of herself and her wife in the pool. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Matthew Crowe tells The Mayo Clinic that swimming has a lot of health benefits. "Swimmers need strong legs and need strong arms. But what really protects people from injuries are core muscles ― the abs, the lower back muscles and all the muscles around the shoulder blades that are stabilizing the shoulder blade to prevent injury."

4. She Strength Trains

Nunes likes to strength train to stay in shape. She shared this video on Instagram of herself balancing on a disc while doing squats with a barbell. Nunes captioned the post, “Don’t do this if you don’t have good balance.” The Mayo Clinic states that strength training has a lot of benefits. “Strength training may enhance your quality of life and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Strength training can also protect your joints from injury. Building muscle also can contribute to better balance and may reduce your risk of falls.”

5. She Works With A Trainer

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As you can see in her Instagram story, Nunes likes to work with a trainer. In this video, she is seen doing exercises with a band with the support of her trainer. ACE Fitness states that personal training has a lot of benefits, including helping people work out on a consistent basis. “A trainer can hold you accountable and help you overcome all the excuses you might use to avoid your commitment to exercise. It’s a lot harder to skip the gym when you know someone is waiting for you.”

MMA fighters aren’t just performers; they train incredibly hard for their work, and follow strict diets to stay strong and ready for a fight. “To be successful in MMA you have to absolutely love it,” says Paige VanZant. “And know that if fighting is in your heart that means it’s already a part of you. It runs through your veins. Being a female and a male-dominated sport can be very hard. The biggest lessons that I have learned throughout my years in fighting is, know your worth, listen to your gut feeling and never let anybody tell you what you can or cannot do.” So what does it take to be a UFC star? Here’s how 20 of the most impressive female MMA fighters stay fighting fit and camera-ready.

1. Ronda Rousey

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Ronda Rousey intermittent fasts and tries to follow a clean diet. “[My diet is] a kind of a combination of The Paleo and The Warrior diet,” she says. “I pretty much eat one meal a day – which takes place at night. I usually eat between 4 and 10 (p.m.). As far as supplements go, I don’t take anything that is made in a lab. If it was on earth 10,000 years ago then I will eat it. There is one exception to all of this each day: I get to have coffee every morning. That’s the only thing I really fudge on… There weren’t really hunger pains when I switched to the diet. You’re just used to eating, you’re sitting around and you’re bored, sometimes you just want to eat to keep yourself occupied. But as long as I’m busy – and I’m busy a lot these days so I’m run ragged all day long – I just pretty much need coffee and I’m cool.”

2. Holly Holm

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Holly Holm’s training is not for the faint of heart. “Monday through Friday every morning we have class and it’s intense,” she says. “They’re pretty hardcore workouts. Monday there’s MMA sparring, Tuesday is sparring, Wednesday is wrestling, Thursday is MMA day, Friday is wrestling, and Saturday I do sprint runs. So that’s just the morning. Other than that I run five days a week with Saturday’s sprint run being one of them. Monday through Friday four out of the five days I’m running distance as well. I do mitt work three to four times a week. I go back to either jujitsu or wrestling at night Monday through Thursday. I’m working out about four and five hours a day depending [on my schedule].”

3. Jessica Eye

Jessica Eye focuses on inner as well as outer health. “We do the exercising with our body and do the diet, but sometimes, we forget to exercise our mind and make ourselves better that way and think we have it all figured out,” she says. “This time, I was able to exercise myself in a way that I have never been exercised before, so it’s allowed me to feel more confident in my abilities, just like I did when I first started.”

4. Felice Herrig

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Felice Herrig was given the nickname “Lil Bulldog” for good reason. “I did start off as a kickboxer 11 years ago and racked up many kickboxing titles as an amateur and pro but I have evolved so much throughout the years,” she says. “Especially when I started training at Team Curran 5 years ago. They’ve gotten my ground game up as far as the jiu jitsu goes and also with my wrestling as well. I train hard and I’m determined. For me it’s always been important to become a well rounded fighter and I am comfortable on the ground and on the feet… If I put together the tools I have developed I’m gonna be hard for anyone to handle.”

5. Jessica Andrade

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Jessica Andrade overhauled her diet for training. "I started eating healthier, more salad, sweet potato and chicken, and I’m feeling stronger than I was before," she says. "I train with the same people I used to train before, and I’m using less strength against them. It was weird. I even asked them if they stopped working out because I felt stronger against bigger training partners. I used to eat a lot of pasta and cookies, things like that. I really eat a lot. I’d eat everything if you let me.”

6. Paige VanZant

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Paige VanZant works out every day, rain or shine. “I of course have a very strict workout regimen,” she says. “I’m in the gym every day twice a day. Since I have switched over to professional boxing my schedule comprises of boxing every day sometimes twice a day. And strength and conditioning three days a week. I do all of my training at American Top Team, a world renowned MMA and combat academy.”

7. Bethe Correia

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Bethe Correia knows how important it is to take time off from training for healing. “An eye injury is much more serious than fighting with an injured arm,” she says. “It could force retirement. I don’t wish to retire so early. I want to continue fighting for many years to come, so I followed all instructions to the letter. Vision is serious business, and as soon as the doctor gave me clearance, I let the UFC know.”

8. Rose Namajunas

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Rose Namajunas sticks to whole foods cooked at home as much as she can. "I try and make everything homemade as possible,” she says. “So that's kind of my thing. I'm never 'anti' anything, except for lots of sugar and things that are obviously bad for you. The more process that something takes in order to make from scratch, I think the less you should eat it… I try not to be too scientific with stuff. Whatever makes you feel good I think is what you should eat. I don't like sweets or anything like that. My parents are Lithuanian refugees. We grew up eating sauerkraut and potatoes. You know, just real Eastern European type stuff. I never really liked candy or anything like that. It's always been a lifestyle for me and not like I'm on this diet like this thing I have to do."

9. Carla Esparza

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Carla Esparza ups her protein when she wants to build more muscle. “I’ve been wanting a fight for a long time, so I’ve been training super hard,” she says. “I’ve been changing a lot of things in my nutrition, in my supplementation, so I feel like I’m excited to show a kind of newer, bigger, stronger, better version of me… I was just preparing myself using the UFC Performance Institute, using Clint (STAT) for nutrition, just adding a lot of protein into my diet, adding supplements, and just doing all these things to kind of ensure that I was going to be as strong as I could possibly be.”

10. Miesha Tate

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For Miesha Tate, being active is not just work but pleasure. “I’m an outdoorsy person. I love being in the water, whether it’s on a boat or just relaxing, and I love inner tubing. I also love camping or just being in the sun, enjoying life!” she says. “I’ve learned firsthand that training smarter, not harder, is just better. Doing this sport for so long, I know my body really well. I’ve had fights where I have definitely overtrained and didn’t give myself enough rest between fights or during training camp. I typically use a heart-rate monitor to track my recovery each morning to see where I’m at, and if it’s a day to push really hard or take it a little lighter. I also use it when I’m sparring to make sure my heart rate’s getting up high enough. After workouts, I’ll often take an ice bath to speed recovery.”

11. Joanne Calderwood

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Joanne Calderwood never skips breakfast before she trains. “I always have my coffee first, and then I eat two eggs, half an avocado, and two slices of bread,” she says. “But before eating, I take my iron, then after breakfast, I take Vitamin C, Beta-Alanine, a B Complex, and a magnesium glycinate powder. I try to get that all in before my 30-minute stretch session. Afterward, I move to mobility, then a pad practice, and then a pro practice with some sparring and live situation type fighting.”

12. Cat Zingano

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Cat Zingano is passionate about becoming a better fighter through her training. “I worked with some wrestling coaches that I grew up with and we wrestled on the national circuit together,” she says. “Lester Bowling, he's Georges St. Pierre's wrestling coach and I've been working with him for years. For jiu-jitsu and judo, I work at a great school in Denver and I did a tournament at the Olympic training center and won that… I think I'm better at this sport than I was at any other sport. It's my calling and I've heard from many people that this was meant for me and I'm excited for this to take off for me and to put on the best fights I possibly can.”

13. Michelle Waterson

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Michelle Waterson trains by shadow boxing and tabata workouts. “I think it is important to drill over and over again until you are sick of drilling, then drill some more,” she says. “I also like shadow boxing which is like fighting an imaginary opponent. Shadow boxing allows you to fix your mistakes and make your movement smooth so that it becomes second nature. Doing bag work is also a good workout routine. It allows me to work on my power and footwork. One of my favorite things to do to improve my stamina are tabatas. 20 seconds high intensity, 10 seconds rest, seven times, then rest for one min in between sets. Do it three times. This is a very short but very effective way to build your explosive muscles.”

14. Melissa Sophia Karagianis

Melissa Sophia Karagianis trains other fighters, and loves her work. “I run the Warrior Women’s Fit Program,” she says. “It’s out of Kingsway Boxing at their high-performance location. I’ve been running it now for about a year. It’s a mixed-martial arts-inspired workout Bootcamp. So it’s growing and it’s an awesome bunch of ladies that I train.”

15. Bruna Ellen

Bruna Ellen says she thrives under pressure. "I competed overseas before, and I know how it’s like to fight with the crowd booing you and all that, and that kind of helps me," she says. "The crowd was booing me in Turkey, and cheering a lot when my opponent entered the gymnasium. This pressure actually helps me, to silence the crowd. I know how it’s like. I react well under pressure, and I’m mentally prepared."

16. Claudia Gadelha

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Claudia Gadelha starts every day with meditation before her training schedule kicks in. “I love my breakfast, so I cook a very nice Brazilian breakfast every morning to be nourished for my hardest session, which is always in the a.m.,” she says. “I love waking up to a nice cardio session, so even on my rest days, I wake up and go for a nice run or a high intensity session. I work out two to three times a day. Usually a strength and conditioning session and two technical sessions.”

17. Bruna Vargas

Bruna Vargas wants to be known for her skill as much as her looks. "It would be hypocritical to say that beauty doesn’t help, but I believe that it’s not only that," she says. "I fight Muay Thai for 10 years, I’m 2-0 in MMA, and I’m sure that I’ll show in this fight that they didn’t sign me only because I’m beautiful. I’m going there to fight, not for a fashion show."

18. Alexandra Albu

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Alexandra Albu loves CrossFit and running to stay in shape. “I wake up, eat my breakfast and after that I run like the wind to a training session,” she says. “After training I go to lectures. Next there is work as a CrossFit instructor and after that I have a jog planned, then maybe I can get some rest. I’m always nervous before I compete. There are always chills before I enter the cage, but when I’m in, when I can see people yelling, rooting for me, all that nervousness goes away and it's only fun after that.”

19. Mackenzie Dern

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Mackenzie Dern is trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and it’s still a major part of her exercise routine. “In the afternoon, I go to my dad’s BJJ academy and ​teach classes and get my BJJ training in there,” she says. “Wednesdays and Saturdays consist of sparring rounds at The MMA Lab. I keep to a strict diet when I’m training for a competition, but I love sweets like candy and pies."

20. Jinh Yu Frey

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Jinh Yu Frey swears by a healthy lifestyle with good habits. “I try and stay in pretty good shape all the time, but about four weeks before a fight I really start sharpening up my skills and with these title fights there are like twenty five minutes, it gets me time to get my cardio to where I need to be,” she says. “I don’t eat processed foods and I try to stick to organic and as close to raw as I can. Mornings I do usually eat oats with chia and hemp seed and honey. After that it’s lots of legumes, nuts, and vegetables. I really don’t eat much meat. Mostly vegetables and quinoa, especially during a fight camp.”

Rose Namajunas, a top-tier MMA fighter known for her intense dedication and skill, also radiates resilience in her mindset and spiritual beliefs. Recently, she shared a powerful Instagram video of herself boxing, captioned with the verse: “2 Corinthians 2:10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” From martial arts as her fitness foundation to stretching routines and a commitment to a natural diet, Namajunas’s journey emphasizes mental strength and holistic well-being. She also focuses on being a role model and believes that controlling one’s own actions—not the opponent's—leads to personal growth in both life and MMA.

1. She Does Martial Arts

Martial arts is the main way Namajunas stays in shape. She recommended that others train in martial arts in an interview with Health Wellness Colorado. “Everybody can benefit from martial arts, especially women. I’d suggest starting with a jiu-jitsu or cardio kickboxing class. All the problems in your day can be solved much better once you let your physical energy release. No matter what’s going on, stimulating your mind, body and spirit helps you handle it all better. It’s an art form. You’re not a hamster on a wheel, there’s a purpose behind every movement. That’s the key to being happy: knowing your purpose with everything you devote your time to.”

2. She Avoids Processed Food

Namajunas opened up about her diet in an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show. She says that she avoids eating a lot of processed food. “I try and make everything homemade as possible. So that’s kind of my thing. I’m never ‘anti’ anything, except for lots of sugar and things that are obviously bad for you. The more process that something takes in order to make from scratch, I think the less you should eat it…I try not to be too scientific with stuff. Whatever makes you feel good I think is what you should eat. I don’t like sweets or anything like that. My parents are Lithuanian refugees. We grew up eating sauerkraut and potatoes. You know, just real Eastern European type stuff. I never really liked candy or anything like that. It’s always been a lifestyle for me and not like I’m on this diet like this thing I have to do.”

3. She Wants To Be A Role Model

Namajunas talked about wanting to be a role model in her Health Wellness Colorado interview. “I took a risk going into this. It was a passion and now I’m the highest paid female strawweight. I can’t think of many other sports where women can excel. What I love about MMA is that it isn’t about being intimidating or having big muscles. It’s about knowing yourself and patiently developing your skills. When I first started, I was looking up to female fighters like Cyborg and Gina Carano. Now I’m side-by-side my role models. Today you can almost go into any MMA gym and find women practicing. It’s a drastic change from when I first started and was the only girl. And you see that increase because it’s benefiting a lot of people’s lives.”

4. She Focuses On Herself

When it comes to her training, Namajunas focuses on herself, not her opponent. “We’ll spend a week figuring out a way to shut down their strength and attack their weakness, but then I train only to make myself better,” she tells Health Wellness Colorado. “The fight is hardly ever about the opponent. This is the same for life. We’re always in a constant fight with ourselves or a situation, whether it’s rush-hour traffic or a fight with a loved one. It’s important to learn that you can only control yourself and your response. MMA teaches you to do that. During the fight, I try to breathe, trust my training, and not think too much.”

5. She Stretches

Namajunas makes sure to stretch. She revealed in this Instagram post that she likes to go to a professional place to help her stretch. Namajunas captioned it, “If you’re in the area I strongly recommend @stretchzone_arvada to just about everyone! Especially my fellow martial artists and combat sports athletes. Just two sessions and I feel amazing I didn’t even know I’ve been looking for this type of therapy for my whole life! 😆 but it’s true!”

UFC commentator Laura Sanko is taking a look back at the hard work and discipline that brought her where she is today. Sanko, 41, shared a highlight reel of her career, including a snap of herself posing in two-piece workout gear, holding a purple belt. “18 year overnight success. I’ve had my fair share of people hoping to see me stumble or fail…sorry to disappoint but I’m just getting started and I thank God for my blessings each and every day ✌🏼,” she captioned the post. “Hardest worker I know. Just ready to see you slow down so we can go on more trips ❤ proud of you,” a friend commented. Sanko is not just a commentator, she’s an athlete and fighter—here’s how she stays strong and focused.

1. She’s a Fighter

Sanko was a fighter before she was a commentator, and says MMA was the perfect workout for her. "The problem with lifting weights or jogging is that you just spend more time inside your head, or at least I did,” she told PEOPLE. "It's intimidating walking up to an MMA gym, and I can't tell you the number of times I've been watching fights with some girlfriends, and they're always like, 'I could never do that,' but they absolutely can."

2. Horseback Riding

Sanko loves horseback riding, and was thrilled to race in Kentucky. “I have wanted to do that my ENTIRE LIFE since I was 4 years old and saw the Black Stallion movie,” she captioned an Instagram post. “I watched it over and over and dreamed of what it would feel like to go full out on a track. Actually got teary watching this footage remembering back to when I was a little kid pretending on my toy horse wanting so desperately to know how powerful that would feel and just watching that scene over and over.”

3. Ignoring the Critics

Sanko didn’t listen to the naysayers who said fighting wasn’t appropriate for a woman. "There's a lot of parts of growing up as a woman where you're told not to be physical for many different reasons, like it's inappropriate, or it's too tomboyish, or girls just don't play like that," she told PEOPLE. "...It’s not professional for a woman to be rolling around with other guys, especially if you take a jiu-jitsu class. It might sound like a weird concept, but I'm telling you that just embracing the sport really opened my eyes to so many things about myself, about my own body, about my ability to feel comfortable in those types of situations."

4. Sparring and Wrestling

Sanko loves nothing better than fighting and sparring. “Felt good to move around a bit. Standard disclaimer: I’m aware he’s letting me work on the ground and ‘not really trying’:.. I’m also well aware of my striking deficiencies on the pads. It’s been forever since I’ve hit pads and I hate feeling rusty and slow…but I guess that’s what I get now that UFC travel dominates my schedule ✌🏼,” she captioned an Instagram post.

5. Breaking the Mold

Sanko is proud of her MMA background and career. "There are a lot of people that don't necessarily fit the mold of what we believe to be a fighter, that are interested in training MMA,” she told PEOPLE. “I think that's really the key, is the way that this particular type of training challenges not just your body, but your mind, your beliefs about yourself, is unlike any other sport, and I hope more people are inspired to do it.”