Kayla Harrison to face Amanda Nunes after UFC 300 debut? Exploring the possibility
Kayla Harrison is the newest addition to the UFC roster.
UFC CEO Dana White recently revealed that Harrison has officially signed an exclusive contract to join the UFC, where she will compete in the bantamweight division.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka is set to make her promotion debut against former 135-pound champion Holly Holm at the historic UFC 300 event, scheduled for April 13 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Check out Dana White's announcement below:
Harrison dedicated her entire MMA career to the PFL, but upon reaching the end of her contract, she entered free agency. Despite PFL's efforts to retain her on their roster, she ultimately transitioned to the UFC.
Harrison's inclusion into the largest MMA promotion, coupled with the prospect of former UFC two-division champion Amanda Nunes making a return from retirement, could possibly pave the way for the 33-year-old Ohio native to realize her dream matchup with her former teammate at American Top Team (ATT).
Should the former two-time PFL women's lightweight champion triumph over 'The Preacher's Daughter,' a logical progression would involve a potential featherweight title bout with the Brazilian next. Harrison has consistently expressed her desire for a matchup against Nunes, but previous cross-platform complications hindered the realization of this showdown.
However, the super fight won't materialize at UFC 300 due to Harrison's scheduled bout against Holm. Only time will reveal whether this highly anticipated matchup could unfold in the foreseeable future.
When Amanda Nunes revealed Kayla Harrison's role in her departure from ATT
Amanda Nunes was the first female MMA fighter to begin training at ATT. However, after her loss to Julianna Pena at UFC 269 in December 2021, 'The Lioness' decided to leave her longtime home gym.
During her appearance on the Trocação Franca podcast (via MMA Fighting) in May 2022, Nunes disclosed feeling discomfort due to having two possible opponents, Kayla Harrison and Yana Kunitskaya, training together regularly at ATT:
"There’s that saying, like it or lump it. I was bothered by the whole situation, of course. There were no girls when I got to the American Top Team. I was the first woman to bring two belts and put the women’s team in history. When Kayla Harrison got there and then Kunitskaya, it began creating a weird situation for me because that was my territory."
She added:
"And then Kayla Harrison started talking. I was kind of, 'Man, I’m not safe even in my territory.' I was kind of cornered, even because we share the same coaches. She trains with Mike Brown and I train with Mike Brown. I was already training with them when she got there."
Check out Amanda Nunes' comments below: