Amanda Nunes, the greatest female fighter in MMA history and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters to ever step into the octagon, called it a career Saturday night after proving those points yet again.

The reigning UFC Bantamweight and Featherweight champion made the announcement at UFC 289 after completely dominating Irene Aldana in the main event, successfully defending her UFC Bantamweight title for a sixth time.

Nunes — who is openly gay and married — won the fight by unanimous decision, severely outstriking the Mexican striker and smothering Aldana on the mat throughout the fifth round.

Nunes immediately went to UFC president Dana White following the fight and called for an official to cut off her gloves as she informed the world of her decision. She placed her gloves and both of her title belts on the mat and cried as she knelt amidst the symbols of her legendary career.

“Double champion forever,” she exclaimed. “This is the perfect night to retire.”

Amanda Nunes kneels with her UFC titles and gloves at UFC 289.

She explained her decision to walk away from the sport with her wife, Nina Nunes, and daughter in the octagon.

“My mom was asking me so much to do this for so long, she can’t take it anymore,” Nunes said during her post-fight interview. “My partner as well, Nina [Nunes], she’s been around so much with me my whole career. She’s pregnant now and we’ve been on this road for so long. I decided, right now, I’m still young enough to enjoy everything that I made. I’ve got to travel. I want to be with my family. I’ve got to spend more time with my family in Brazil as well.”

Nunes also revealed that she has been dealing with nerve damage in both legs during the post-show news conference, which she entered on crutches.

There had been chatter about the UFC 289 main event against Aldana potentially being Nunes’ final fight leading into the event. She revealed that she knew it would be her last when she signed the contract but didn’t want to broach the subject until after battling Aldana.

The leadup to the fight also provided a chance for Nunes to reflect on what would ultimately be her final UFC fight taking place during Pride Month.

“It’s pretty cool,” Nunes said during UFC 289 media day on Wednesday. “I feel like I live my life the way I love to. I feel like that is a good way to put this out there. You know, I’m not in tuned that much to the community, obviously, but I love really being able to represent, you know, as being myself. Being with my family. Being happy.

“A lot of people ask me, ‘Why you not be into the community?’ All those things; help more. I say, you got to respect my position, you know. I do good things, so that is a good way to already help the community to be respected by others. If I respect people living my life, I feel like that is going to help other people to look up to everybody in a different way. I feel like, in that way, now to step in the cage in Pride Month is pretty cool … I feel good about it.”

Nunes leaves UFC as the most dominant female fighter the organization has ever seen, becoming the only female double champion, the only two-time UFC Bantamweight champion and the woman with the most UFC title bouts ever with 11. Her win over Aldana moved her ahead of fellow out LGBTQ fighter Jessica Andrade for the most UFC wins by a woman with 16, and she broke the record for takedowns by a bantamweight fighter of any gender during Saturday’s fight.

“I came from a small city in Brazil, the name is Pojuca, nobody knows where it is in Brazil, but I made it here,” Nunes said. “I became a champion and the only champion that Brazil has right now. … I’m leaving, thank you.”

Nunes dancing with her daughter and wife, Nina Nunes, after announcing her retirement

Nunes notched victories over every big name in women’s MMA during her career, including Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg and Valentina Shevchenko. But the final images of, as UFC’s Daniel Cormier described her, the greatest fighter of all time were Nunes celebrating with her corner team, kissing and embracing her wife and dancing around the octagon with her daughter.

“The greatest of all time,” Nunes said when asked how hoped to be remembered. “I did everything.”

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