Kayla Harrison, the UFC women’s bantamweight champion, has spoken about Amanda Nunes’ departure from American Top Team (ATT) in Coconut Creek, Florida. Nunes, a former two-division UFC champion, left ATT after losing to Julianna Peña in December 2021, citing a potential clash with Harrison. In an interview with MMA Fighting, Harrison shared her perspective, stressing respect and her loyalty to ATT.
On June 7, 2025, at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, Harrison defeated Peña to claim the bantamweight title. A faceoff with Nunes followed, sparking talk of a superfight. Harrison hopes the bout will embody martial arts values.
Harrison Addresses Nunes’ Departure
Harrison was surprised by Nunes’ belief that she planned a challenge.
“I mean at first I thought she left because she lost [to Peña] but why would she say that if she didn’t mean it?” Harrison told MMA Fighting. “I guess from what I have heard and am coming to understand, I went to that fight. I was in the stands the night Julianna beat Amanda and I think that she had this misunderstanding — I think she thought I was going to do what she did on Saturday. I think she thought I was going to get in the cage and challenge her.”
She denied any such intention.
“So to her, I was kind of going behind her back and stuff but it’s not true. Obviously, I didn’t sign with UFC and I stayed with the PFL. It was not even close to being true. Maybe that’s why she left, I’m not really sure and it doesn’t matter. I know that I’ve carried myself accordingly,” Harrison said. She remains focused on her integrity.
Kayla Harrison’s MMA Journey
Harrison, a two-time Olympic judo gold medalist from 2012 and 2016, began MMA in 2018 with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). She built a 16-1 record, securing two lightweight titles. Her only loss was to Larissa Pacheco in 2022, driving her to improve.
In 2024, Harrison joined the UFC. She debuted at UFC 300, submitting former champion Holly Holm in the second round. A unanimous decision win over Ketlen Vieira earned her a title shot. At UFC 316, Harrison’s grappling defeated Peña with a second-round Kimura, claiming the 135-pound belt.
Training Dynamics at American Top Team
Harrison discussed her time at ATT while Nunes was there.
“I know that I’ve been a good teammate,” she said. “Everyone at the gym was like until she left, everyone in the gym was doing everything in their power to not let me go to the UFC. Dan [Lambert] was like ‘the money, PFL, blah, blah, blah.’ I’ve been very patient. God’s plan is the right plan. God’s plan, God’s time, not Kayla’s time. Whatever she thinks, I’m OK with. I have peace with it because I know who I am and we’re good.”
Their training was limited.
“No we were not main training partners,” Harrison said. “We weren’t in the same promotion. We weren’t in the same weight class. I always made myself readily available. I made it very clear if ever need a drilling partner, you need a punching bag, you need anything, and Mike [Brown] knew that, Amanda knew that, everyone knew that. But we trained not a lot. That was OK.”
She values ATT’s teamwork.
“At that time, I guess I’m weird but to me I see Johnny Eblen and Austin [Vanderford] and Yaroslav [Amosov] and Dalton [Rosta], all these guys, all training together everyday, building each other up, leveling up, leveling up, leveling up. I see Dustin [Poirier] and Dakota Bush and Grant Dawson and [Mateusz] Gamrot and all these guys training together everyday, leveling up, leveling up. So for me, it’s like we might fight someday but let’s level the f*ck up! Let’s go! But we didn’t train a lot and I’m OK with that, that was her choice,” she said.
Nunes, known as “The Lioness,” is a former UFC bantamweight and featherweight champion. Joining the UFC in 2013, she amassed a 16-2 record, defeating stars like Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, and Valentina Shevchenko. She was the first woman to hold two UFC titles simultaneously, ruling both divisions from 2018 to 2020.
Nunes lost the bantamweight title to Peña in 2021 but reclaimed it in a 2022 rematch. She retired in June 2023 after defeating Irene Aldana at UFC 289. Her recent interest in returning, shown by the UFC 316 faceoff, suggests a possible fight with Harrison.
Harrison seeks a respectful bout.
“My hope is we can do this the martial artist way and just show up and have respect and bring out the absolute best in each other,” she said. “I do not want a Colby-Masvidal situation. That would suck. But I’m ATT till I die. Don’t f*ck with my homies. I’m an ATT girl through and through. Those are my people. I’m OK defending myself. You know I’m not shy. I’m not afraid to chirp back if I need to.”
Nunes must re-enter the UFC’s drug-testing program, requiring six months, potentially delaying the fight to late 2025 or early 2026. Harrison, now 19-1 overall, awaits her first title defense against contenders like Raquel Pennington or Ketlen Vieira. The Nunes fight remains the most anticipated matchup.
