Andrea Nuñez finds Mexico City home with UFC

MEXICO CITY – After working in multiple sports organizations across the United States, Andrea Nuñez has finally settled back home here in the Méxican capital. 

The El Paso, Texas, native came across an Instagram post on her phone from the UFC Performance Institute late last year. After reading that UFC was hiring a strength and conditioning coordinator in Mexico City, she knew right away it was a sign to return home and give back to her community.

“It was like the motherland was calling me home,” said Nuñez, who spent the first six years of her life in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, after she was born in Texas. “I knew that there was no bigger full circle than to be able to do what I do back in my home country, working with Latinos and to grow the sport in Latin America.”

Andrea Nuñez was active in sports growing up. Nuñez earned a full scholarship to play volleyball at New Mexico Highlands University. After graduating college, Nuñez knew she wanted to work in professional sports as a strength and conditioning coach.

MLB trailblazer

The Mexican American started her journey in Major League Baseball with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. In that role, she became the first Latina strength coach in MLB history.

Andrea Nuñez worked as the strength and conditioning coach in Rookie and Class A of the Angels’ farm system. After three years with the Halos, Nuñez started a new position as the strength and conditioning assistant coordinator of Latin America with the San Francisco Giants.

In 2022, Nuñez explored a different league and sport. She joined the Washington Spirit as a strength and conditioning coach in the National Women’s Soccer League.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) opened its third performance institute in late February. UFC CEO Dana White was in attendance to cut the ribbon and introduce the newest location in Mexico City.

“What is different about the Mexico PI is, I’m not looking for fighters that are under contract with us to go over there and train,” White said that day. “They can, obviously, but what I am more interested in is taking kids off the streets that don’t have a lot of opportunity.

“Bringing them in and having them look at the UFC PI as a home, whether it is after school or whenever they need to get away, coming there and training and not just participate in mixed martial arts. 

“I don’t think every kid that goes through there is going to be a fighter, but some of them will be coaches. Some of them will be jiu-jitsu coaches. Somehow, some way they will become involved in the sport and will help grow it.”

Andrea Nuñez sees room for greatness

UFC’s state-of-the-art PI in Mexico City is massive. The building has two floors. The first floor contains an indoor and outdoor strength and conditioning area, a physical therapy and rehabilitation room, and a fueling station.

The second floor is where the UFC fighting begins. There are two octagons. One is 25 feet, and the other is 30-feet. There is also a 1,700 square foot mat area for the athletes to train. In addition, there’s a conference room named after the first Mexican born UFC champion Brandon Moreno.

Nuñez envisions a new cultural change to the sport of mixed-martial arts in Mexico. She raves about the next generation of UFC athletes coming in and out of the Mexico City PI doors every day.

“The future of UFC in Mexico is massive,” Nuñez said. “We are just now scratching the surface of the talent that lies within Mexico and Latin America. Our ceiling is extremely high and we’re just getting started.”

Nuñez is the strength and conditioning coordinator at Mexico’s UFC PI. She overlooks the weight room and constructs different weight-lifting programs for athletes. Nuñez sets a goal for herself when she steps into the facility every single day.

“My goal is to help them become the optimal athletes to be UFC champions,” Nuñez said. “Simply put, we want to be the best in the world. Period. That is our goal day in and day out.

“At the UFC PI, we want to be world class and share our practices to help elevate the sport worldwide.”

Mexico’s UFC Performance Institute is ready for the next generation of Latinos at the facility, Nuñez will be ready to greet you. Nonetheless, she’s going to maximize your potential in the weight room.