5 reasons why Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison needs to happen
The two most dominant fighters in women's MMA are almost certainly Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison. Nunes is the reigning UFC champion in the women's featherweight and bantamweight divisions, while Harrison is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the undefeated PFL champion in the women's lightweight division.
Rarely do two MMA fighters at the absolute peak of their powers cross paths to determine the true owner of combat sports supremacy. Despite Dana White's aversion to cross-promotional bouts, it has been done in the past with Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr., and it would certainly be necessary for a bout between Nunes and Harrison, given the latter's current PFL contract.
Prior to Amanda Nunes' stunning upset loss to Julianna Peña at UFC 269, interest in a matchup between the Brazilian great and the most dominant force in the women’s lightweight division was at an all-time high.
While the bout lost some of its luster due to Nunes' shocking loss, her dominant victory in the ensuing rematch at UFC 277 between her and 'The Venezuelan Vixen' reignited fan interest in the clash. Nunes lent credence to her claim that Peña's win over her was nothing more than a fluke, so a bout with Harrison is once again on the table.
With Nunes firmly re-established as the greatest female fighter of all-time (a title that Harrison claims to want for herself), a bout between the two makes more sense now than ever before. This list details the 5 reasons why.
#5. Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison lack contenders
The list of opponents Amanda Nunes has defeated includes Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, Holly Holm, Cris Cyborg, Germaine de Randamie, and Julianna Peña. All but Shevchenko, who currently reigns as the UFC women's flyweight champion, are former UFC champions.
Amanda Nunes has finished every champion in the history of the UFC's 145 & 135 divisions bar Julianna Pena. Even more impressive: All 5 (GDR, Cyborg, Rousey, Holm & Tate) were finished in Round #1. https://t.co/xVfbxkEYTF
Thus, Nunes has defeated every women's bantamweight and featherweight champion in UFC history. She has no contenders to face at featherweight due to the lack of contenders in the division — in addition to this, Nunes possesses no believable contenders at bantamweight due to defeating almost every major fighter in the weight class. The Brazilian is dangerously close to a position where she'll have to rematch opponents she's already beaten.
Kayla Harrison, by contrast, is fighting in a division with few elite contenders. While she is impressive and has been nothing but dominant, the lack of competition she's faced leaves her with almost no compelling matchups outside of Nunes.
Now is the time for both women to cross paths. While a bout with Cris Cyborg is fairly interesting for Harrison, a matchup with Nunes is more intriguing given 'The Lioness's victory over Cyborg.