Kayla Harrison intends to make Amanda Nunes regret her decision to come out of retirement in their long-awaited title fight at UFC 324.
Harrison (19-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will put her bantamweight title on the line against former American Top Team teammate Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC) in the Jan. 24 co-headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+), and it’s on the short list of the most significant women’s title fights company history.
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After winning multiple PFL title titles and expressing the desire to prove herself as the best, Harrison made her UFC debut in April 2024 – just 10 months after Nunes announced she would be hanging up the gloves as a two-division champion.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Harrison has since thrived in the octagon, capturing the belt formerly held by her former teammate and luring “The Lioness” out of retirement for the high-stakes showdown. Could it be the start of a meaningful rivalry inside the cage? If it goes the way Harrison is forecasting, then a one-off is more likely.
“No, I don’t think she’s going to come back after what I do to her on Jan. 24,” Harrison told MMA Junkie. “I would welcome (a rematch), but I’m going to send her back to retirement. … There’s no bad blood for me. I know ATT really wants this one, so I’m going to go out there and do us all proud.”
For Harrison, who won Olympic medals at 172 pounds and PFL championships at 155 pounds, the fight before the fight is always making weight one day prior to stepping into the octagon. It’s a challenge nearly all MMA athletes endure, but Harrison has been honest about the extreme sacrifice it takes for her to make 135 pounds or less.
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Everything is on track ahead of the biggest fight of her life, though, and Harrison is ready to turn a moment she has been visualizing about for years into another defining achievement.
“I’m really excited because I feel like this fight is a fight we’ve all been speculating and talking about for a long time,” Harrison said. “I do believe Amanda was the greatest female fighter on the planet. I believe I’m the best in the world, and if you want to be the best in the world, you’ve got to go beat whoever the best in the world is right now. I’m excited for it. It’s just all coming together perfectly.
“It’s not getting easier. That’s for sure. It’s getting harder. But we can do hard things. Every time I prepare for a fight, every time I go through this process, every time I face another big challenge, it just molds me into a more evolved version of myself. It’s all part of the journey and I’m enjoying every part of it.”
To hear more from Harrison, check out her complete appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Kayla Harrison: Amanda Nunes going ‘back to retirement’ after UFC 324
