Former two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes opened up on her past gym rivalry with Kayla Harrison.
After Amanda Nunes‘s induction into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer, the previous two-division titleholder may very well be on the verge of a return to the Octagon to face the Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison winner. A matchup with Harrison would reunite Nunes with considered one of her past training partners after a controversial leave from American Top Team.
Nunes retired from MMA after defeating Irene Aldana in her final women’s bantamweight title defense at UFC 289. But since her retirement fight, Nunes has repeatedly teased a comeback, potentially for a trilogy matchup with Pena.
But when Harrison dethrones Pena, tensions between Nunes and Harrison will move to the forefront after their past beef.
Amanda Nunes was ‘out of form’ during past spars with Kayla Harrison
Nunes and Harrison trained together earlier of their combat sports careers at ATT, with Nunes messily leaving the gym and hinting at Harrison being the most important reason behind the change. Before Harrison signed with the UFC last 12 months, she long teased a possible matchup with Nunes, despite the latter not entertaining as much in the general public.
During a recent interview with UFC Brasil, Nunes gave insight into training with Harrison at ATT before her departure.
“We didn’t have a partnership within the gym,” Nunes said. “There was no such thing, but we did some training here and there. I used to be out of form, I used to be at all times traveling, coming back and doing a little training. It wasn’t like we were at all times training [together] or I used to be in shape and training with Kayla. Never like that.
“It was at all times something random, but that’s it. I’m ready for anyone. I mean it.” (h/t MMA Fighting)
After Pena reclaimed the bantamweight throne at UFC 307, she called out Nunes for a trilogy, irking Harrison, who was backstage just minutes after her win. But Nunes is more prone to come back for a clash with Harrison versus a 3rd fight with Pena.
Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison result could determine Amanda Nunes’s comeback plan
First things first for Pena and Harrison as they prepare to fight within the co-main event of UFC 316. After going 2-0 in her UFC tenure, Harrison is trying to cap off her MMA profession with a UFC championship victory.
Pena defeated Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 in her first fight since her back-to-back clashes with Nunes. She pulled off the upset over Nunes at UFC 269 before falling of their rematch at UFC 277.
The ladies’s bantamweight division might get a much-needed boost if Nunes returns to the Octagon by 12 months’s end. UFC 316 could finalize whether or not the UFC Hall of Fame inductee makes a comeback.
