Kayla Harrison: Without Amanda Nunes I probably wouldn't have returned
The bantamweight champion defends against Nunes at UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden. The fight is "probably" the only reason for her comeback, she says.
Archive image · Photo: Agência Brasil Fotografias / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Kayla Harrison has admitted that her return to the cage hinges mainly on one opponent. Asked by Ariel Helwani whether the Amanda Nunes fight is the only reason for her comeback, the UFC women's bantamweight champion said in an interview posted on Wednesday: "Probably. I mean, just to be honest. Yeah."
Harrison (19-1) won the title last year by submitting Julianna Peña. Her first defence against Nunes was scheduled for January, but Harrison withdrew through injury. The two now meet on 14 November at UFC 334 at New York's Madison Square Garden – in the co-main event behind the heavyweight title fight between Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit.
Nunes (23-5) is widely regarded as the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time. For this matchup, Harrison – previously a two-time PFL lightweight champion – is willing to make the tough cut to 135 pounds, according to Sherdog.