Former UFC champion Amanda Nunes is planning a return to the octagon, aiming to reclaim the women’s bantamweight title. In a recent interview, Nunes revealed her preference for facing Kayla Harrison over Julianna Peña, sparking excitement among fans about her comeback.
Nunes’ Comeback Plans and Opponent Preference
Nunes shared her thoughts with Evelyn Rodrigues on the UFC Brasil Fight Pass broadcast.
“Of course, I’m open to it. Kayla or Julianna, I want my title back and I will fight for it. I’m driven by challenges, Evelyn. I like challenges in my life, understand? I like to fight for something that Kayla’s damn strong. I want her. She’s who I want. Julianna could be cool, I’ve already fought her twice, I can fight her again.”
She also discussed past training with Harrison at American Top Team.
“We had that thing at American Top Team. We’ve trained before. We didn’t have a partnership in the gym, that didn’t exist. But when we could, we’d train together here and there, I was out of shape. I was always traveling, and when I’d be back, I’d train with her a little. It was never me training and in shape and I’d train with Kayla. It was never that.”
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Fight Context and Career Highlights
Nunes, now 36 with a 23-5 record, retired after defeating Irene Aldana in her last bantamweight title defense. Known as the greatest female MMA fighter, she held the bantamweight title for over five years and the featherweight title for nearly four, defeating stars like Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, and Valentina Shevchenko.
Her comeback was confirmed at the UFC 316 press conference in Miami, where she nodded in response to a question about fighting the winner of Peña versus Harrison, set for June 7 in Newark, New Jersey.
Peña, the current bantamweight champion with an 11-5 record, won the title from Raquel Pennington last fall. She previously upset Nunes in a stunning submission victory, but Nunes reclaimed the belt in their rematch.
Harrison, an 18-1 fighter and two-time Olympic judo gold medalist, joined the UFC after a successful PFL career. She earned her title shot with wins over Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira. Nunes sees Harrison as a fresh challenge due to her strength and grappling, while a third fight with Peña is less appealing but still possible.
The Peña-Harrison bout is the co-main event of UFC 316, following the men’s bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley. Nunes, who will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer, is likely to face the winner later in the year. Her past training with Harrison at American Top Team was limited, as Nunes was often traveling and not in peak condition, and she left the gym partly due to tensions as Harrison rose in the sport.
