Amanda Nunes has frequently discussed her historical sparring sessions with Kayla Harrison. Now, the new UFC champion has offered her perspective on their previous training together.
At UFC 316 this past Saturday, Kayla Harrison captured the women`s bantamweight championship by decisively defeating Julianna Pena, securing a second-round submission victory.
Immediately after claiming the title, Harrison faced off with her likely next opponent when former two-division champion Amanda Nunes stepped into the cage for an impromptu confrontation.
Despite Nunes announcing her return from retirement, Harrison’s manager remains skeptical about “The Lioness” actually competing again, suggesting Nunes clearly hoped Pena would defeat Harrison at UFC 316.
Harrison Admits Dominance in Sparring with Nunes
Ahead of what could become one of the biggest fights in women`s MMA history, additional interest stems from the fact that Harrison and Nunes previously trained together at American Top Team (ATT).
When the Olympic gold medalist was exploring MMA gyms at the beginning of her transition to the sport, she chose the renowned ATT due to its excellent facilities and formidable roster of fighters.
At that time, `The Lioness` was a member of the ATT team, and Harrison trained with her multiple times shortly after joining.
Nunes recently commented on their sparring sessions, claiming she was never training at full intensity and that Harrison would experience her true level when they potentially fight.
However, the new women`s bantamweight champion admitted on Monday that Nunes “kicked my ass” during those sparring sessions.
“Yeah I was (thinking of potentially fighting her in the future from day one),” Harrison said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “I came down to visit and I sparred with her actually, on day two… Yeah, I think pretty much right after that I thought ‘This is it, this is where I’m gonna go.’”
Regarding the sparring itself, Harrison stated, “It went good, she kicked my ass but one of us stopped after two rounds, so,” implying Nunes chose to end the session after two rounds.
It`s worth noting that Harrison`s sparring sessions against Nunes occurred before she had even made her professional debut in MMA.
Potential Harrison vs. Nunes Fight Faces Delay
Despite the significant current hype surrounding this potential superfight, it is unfortunately facing a delay and may not happen until at least 2026.
At the UFC 316 post-fight press conference, Dana White revealed that `The Lioness` has not yet re-entered the Anti-Doping testing pool. Under current rules, fighters must be in the testing pool for six months before being cleared to compete.
Jack Thornley