Kayla Harrison Hopes to Lure Ex-UFC Champ Amanda Nunes Out of Retirement

Kayla Harrison believes she has moved a step closer to bringing Amanda Nunes out of retirement with her dominant Ultimate Fighting Championship debut win over Holly Holm.

Harrison scored a second-round submission win over the former UFC bantamweight champion at UFC 300 on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The former two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka called for a title shot next, vowing to be champion by the end of 2024.

“I want my title next, Joe [Rogan],” Harrison said in her post-fight interview. “That’s what I came over for here, one thing and one thing only. I don’t care if it’s Raquel [Pennington], I don’t care if it’s Julianna [Pena], by the end of the year I will be UFC champion.”

Harrison’s performance certainly caught the attention of consensus women’s MMA GOAT Amanda Nunes. “The Lioness” retired after defending her bantamweight title against Irene Aldana at UFC 289 in June 2023 but has since alluded to a possible return to action. Nunes posted an Instagram story of Harrison’s post-fight interview teasing a potential clash. The Brazilian wrote “Chama,” which translates to “fire” but has been popularized by UFC light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira as a slang for “Let’s go.” Harrison, who has been rallying for a dream fight against Nunes for quite some time, believes her plan to bring former double champ out of retirement is in motion.

“Chama! I think the plan is working,” Harrison told TNT Sports.

Raquel Pennington, who won the vacant title with a unanimous decision win over Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC 297 in January, called out former champ Julianna Pena for her first title defense. While Harrison is eyeing a potential matchup with Pennington or Pena next, she was dismissive of both along with the rest of the division.

“I mean I don’t think they [Pena and Pennington] match up well against me,” Harrison said. “I don’t think anybody in this division matches up well against me. I think that I’m an unstoppable force right now and this is my time.”