Kayla Harrison says she might not have returned without Amanda Nunes

Kayla
Harrison says she probably would not have returned to
competition without the opportunity to face Amanda
Nunes.

Harrison is scheduled to defend her
Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight title
against Nunes at UFC
334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Harrison,
who goes to great lengths to reach the 135-pound championship
limit, says the matchup makes the weight cut worthwhile.

Kayla Harrison prepares to defend UFC bantamweight title
against Amanda Nunes after neck surgery

Nunes is widely regarded as the greatest female mixed martial
artist of all time. Harrison said she might not have fought again
if Nunes were not her opponent.

„I mean, just to be honest, yeah,” Harrison told Ariel Helwani when
asked if the Nunes fight is the only reason she’s returning to
action.

Harrison (19-1) won two
Professional Fighters League lightweight championships before
joining the UFC in 2024. She submitted Julianna
Pena to win the UFC bantamweight title last year. Her first
defense against Nunes (23-5) was scheduled for January, but a neck
injury requiring surgery forced her to withdraw.

Kayla
Harrison admits she ‚probably‘ wouldn’t have come back if it
wasn’t for the Amanda
Nunes fight: „Probably. I mean, just to be honest. Yeah.“
https://t.co/nf5Wpvw0RA

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)
October 14, 2026