Amanda Cooper

Amanda Cooper is a journeyman strawweight mixed martial artist who rose through the ranks of regional promotions and Invicta FC before earning her shot in the UFC. In 2016, she competed on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia, losing in the women's strawweight final to Tatiana Suarez. Her UFC tenure spanned roughly two and a half years, during which she posted a 3-5 record and competed against a mix of veterans and rising prospects.

Cooper's fighting style emphasized volume striking from the outside, where she landed 174 significant strikes and showed competent stand-up exchanges. However, her grappling defense proved to be a critical weakness: she defended only 29 percent of takedown attempts and was caught in first-round submissions by Cynthia Calvillo and Mackenzie Dern, both of whom went on to become notable contenders in the division. Her most impressive UFC moment came in December 2017 when she knocked out Angela Magaña via TKO in the second round at UFC 218.

Despite flashing potential in isolated victories, Cooper struggled to find consistency against the UFC's elite strawweight talent. Her final octagon appearance was a split-decision loss to Ashley Yoder in November 2018, a result that ultimately led to the UFC declining to renew her contract. She has since returned to Invicta Fighting Championships, where she began her professional career, continuing to compete at the highest levels of women's MMA outside the UFC.