A potential clash between former teammates Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes seems likely following their faceoff at UFC 316. Harrison realized her title aspirations on MMA`s grandest stage in Newark on Saturday night. Co-headlining the latest UFC pay-per-view at the Prudential Center, she claimed the women`s bantamweight title by submitting Julianna Pena with a kimura late in the second round.
This victory has paved the way for a highly anticipated super fight against Nunes, the returning former two-division champion. The history between Harrison and Nunes as former teammates adds an intriguing dimension to Harrison`s likely first title defense. However, Nunes has cautioned her American counterpart against overthinking their past training sessions.
Amanda Nunes Claims Kayla Harrison Never Faced Her `True` Form in Training
After witnessing Harrison`s impressive performance to take the title from Pena and then having a faceoff with the new champion, Nunes spoke to Brett Okamoto and Jon Anik on ESPN. Nunes discussed her history with Harrison, revealing she actually left American Top Team (ATT) partly due to Harrison`s presence.
The Brazilian issued a warning, stating that Harrison only ever trained with an “out of shape” version of “The Lioness” and hasn`t yet encountered her at full capacity.
“We used to train together,” Nunes recalled. “I was completely out of shape then. Every time I returned to the gym, it seemed like we`d train together. I`d think, `Seriously, I have to train with Kayla when I`m totally out of shape? That`s not fair.` Now, we`ll face each other when I`m in full training camp, 100 percent strong, the `Lioness.` She will truly understand who I am once we`re in the cage.”
Kayla Harrison`s Manager Skeptical About Amanda Nunes` UFC Return Commitment
While all indications suggest a future bout between Harrison and Nunes, some doubts remain. Speaking on Submission Radio recently, Harrison`s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, explained that his observations of Nunes while seated near her at UFC 316 led him to question her dedication to another championship run.
“When Amanda was competing in the UFC, people didn`t show much interest, and when she left, nobody seemed to care,” Abdelaziz commented. “Now, Kayla has brought her back, creating a significant moment and atmosphere around a `big fight` scenario. I have reservations about Amanda,” Abdelaziz continued. “Firstly, she was sitting near me, and her energy suggested she wanted Kayla to lose… she absolutely wanted Julianna to win, without a doubt. And if you plan to fight someone, you`d typically want them to win so you can challenge them, right? She wanted Kayla to lose, to be frank.”
A significant obstacle to this superfight is Nunes` re-entry into the UFC`s anti-doping testing pool. Dana White confirmed at the Newark press conference that Nunes is currently not enrolled.
