Kayla Harrison tapped out the returning UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes on Saturday night, bringing a definitive end to one of the women’s bantamweight division’s most anticipated bouts.
Harrison, who successfully defended her UFC Bantamweight Championship on Saturday night, submitted Amanda Nunes in the co-main event of UFC 334 from Madison Square Garden in New York City.
After a back-and-forth three rounds of action, Harrison found a quick way to end the fight in the fourth. Catching a leg kick from Nunes, Harrison took down the similarly tiring Brazilian, flattened her out on the mat and slipped in a rear naked choke for a sudden submission result.
Earlier rounds saw Harrison’s Judo background provide trouble for Nunes, who insisted on clinching despite early success with her boxing. The first and second rounds were likely won by Harrison, who eyed a full crucifix position on top after slickly throwing Nunes to the mat. The third round saw Nunes find a bit more success once fatigue became a significant factor for both women, briefly taking control on the mat.
But after the close three rounds, which provided some debate on scoring, Harrison’s submission showed that judges wouldn’t be a factor.
Saturday’s co-main event was dubbed by many as one of the biggest women’s MMA fights of all time. It saw a name many considered an all-time great, Nunes, against a defending champ who entered with a fair amount of credentials in her own right.
Nunes was a force that spanned numerous generations in UFC’s bantamweight and featherweight women’s divisions. She took down big names in the early years of the class, disposing of Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate with ease in 2016, and knocking out fellow phenom Cris Cyborg two years later.
Her success carried into the late 2010s, and, after bouncing back from an upset loss to Julianna Pena in 2022, defeated Irene Aldana in 2023 and announced her retirement from MMA. UFC wasted little time inducting her into the brand’s Hall of Fame, an honor given to retired fighters, although it seemed clear along the way that a return wasn’t out of the picture.
Amid Nunes’ absence from MMA, Harrison quickly ascended UFC’s ranks. The two-time Judo Olympic gold medalist entered the promotion with tons of fanfare in 2024, signing after becoming one of PFL’s most dominant names. After back-to-back wins, she dethroned Pena to capture the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Two major unknowns surrounded Saturday’s women’s matchup. Nobody knew how good a once-dominant Nunes would be after three years away from the cage. And it was unclear if a neck surgery earlier this year for Harrison would significantly affect her performance.
After achieving the biggest win of her career to date, Harrison looked back on her years as a high-level athlete on Saturday night.
“It feels surreal,” Harrison said about how far she has come. “Sometimes I can’t believe my life … If you told me at 6 years old this would be my life, if you told me at 16 years old this would be my life, I wouldn’t believe you.”
But, despite her reflections, the type of musing you’d often hear from a fighter saying goodbye to the sport, Harrison wasn’t fully decided on whether she stepped into the cage for the last time: “I’ve got a lot of decisions to make.”
Nunes wasn’t interviewed after the fight. The status of her career as a fighter remains unclear.
