Amanda Nunes reacts as Dana White announces Holly Holm vs. Kayla Harrison for UFC 300
Amanda Nunes has reacted to Kayla Harrison's recent signing with the UFC.
CEO Dana White recently announced that the former two-time PFL women's lightweight champion has inked an exclusive agreement to become part of the UFC roster, where she will participate in the bantamweight division.
Harrison's highly anticipated promotion debut is slated for the landmark UFC 300 event on April 13 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where she is set to face former 135-pound champion Holly Holm.
Check out Dana White's announcement below:
The addition of the two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka to the UFC prompted a reaction from her former training partner at American Top Team (ATT).
Nunes responded to White's Instagram post with a 'Face with Monocle' emoji and a 'Rolling on the Floor Laughing' emoji.
Check out Amanda Nunes' comment below:
Harrison and Nunes have a notable shared history, with both expressing mutual interest in facing each other in a matchup. However, complications arising from cross-platform issues have so far prevented the realization of this showdown.
The 35-year-old Brazilian retired from professional fighting after successfully defending her 135-pound title against Irene Aldana at UFC 289 in June 2023.
But while attending UFC 297 last weekend, 'The Lioness' mentioned that she continues to feel like a champion when questioned about the possibility of returning to the octagon, leaving the door open for a potential comeback.
When Amanda Nunes disclosed Kayla Harrison's involvement in her departure from ATT
Amanda Nunes was the first female fighter to start her training at Florida-based ATT. However, following her defeat to Julianna Pena at UFC 269 in December 2021, 'The Lioness' opted to part ways with her longstanding home gym.
During her appearance on the Trocação Franca podcast (via MMA Fighting) in May 2022, Nunes revealed unease stemming from the fact that two potential opponents, Kayla Harrison and Yana Kunitskaya, trained 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: