Many fighters made changes to their coaching staff when their careers aren’t going the way they’d hoped. But that isn’t the reason former two-division champion Amanda Nunes left her longtime gym, American Top Team.
“Actually, I always wanted to open a private spot,” Nunes said during her The Ultimate Fighter Season 30 media day interview. “I never said I’m going to open a gym to compete against [American Top Team]. That never came out of my mouth.”
Many fans had speculated Nunes left due to her loss to Julianna Pena or to build up a fight with Kayla Harrison, neither really seem to be the case, according to Nunes.
“But I always wanted to have a little private space for me. Because even at American Top Team, I always did my things separated. I had my time to go, and I had my coaches there waiting for me to help me with my camp. It was always like that.”
It sounds as though Nunes wants her own space, much like Cris Cyborg did in opening her own gym.
“It was always in my head that one day I might want to have a space,” she said. “I want to see all my teachings on the wall, put up my logo, all those things that a lot of fighters want to do that at some point in their career. I feel like this is the moment for me. I want to go on my own for a little bit.”
She did say there’s no ill-will at American Top Team and she’d be happy to be back there training whenever she wants.
“I feel like I deserve to do what I want to do. It’s nothing to do with the gym. Actually, we’re still good. I can still walk in the gym and train whenever I want. I didn’t close the door because [nothing] happened. I did it my way, but we did a lot of things together. We made history together.”
