Amanda Nunes Says She Already Has Kayla Harrison Figured Out for UFC 334

Amanda Nunes vacated her bantamweight belt when she retired in 2023. Two years later, Kayla Harrison is wearing it — and on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden, the two former American Top Team training partners settle things in the UFC 334 co-main event. Nunes, 23-5 with 13 knockouts and four submissions, is adamant the years apart haven't changed what she saw up close.

Speaking on the Deep Waters podcast, Nunes said she studied Harrison heavily during their ATT days and still sees the same recurring flaws in her game, even if the two-time Olympic judo champion has clearly evolved. Nunes once held both the 135 and 145-pound titles simultaneously, and she's leaning on that shared history as a scouting report most challengers never get.

Bad Blood From the Mat

The relationship soured long before any fight contract. Nunes said Harrison never felt like an open training partner, and specifically questioned whether Harrison gave full effort rolling with the gym's female fighters. She suggested Harrison gravitates toward the male training partners and stayed on the fringes of the women's group, something Nunes claims they tried to fix multiple times with no success.

The deeper grievance is etiquette. Nunes argued that she was the reigning champion in that gym — the one who brought two belts in — and felt Harrison should have waited for her to step away before openly angling for her spot. Instead, Nunes said, Harrison repeatedly grabbed the microphone to call her out. To Nunes, calling out a teammate who shares the same mat and the same coach crosses a line.

What the Numbers Say

Harrison currently holds the strap Nunes left behind, which flips the usual script: the former double champ is the one chasing. Nunes hasn't competed since a unanimous-decision win over Irene Aldana in 2023, so the obvious question is whether her read on Harrison's habits survives the layoff. Nunes shrugged that off, noting she does this for a living and has no issue fighting anyone.

For Harrison, this is the toughest name available at 135 and a chance to erase any 'what if Nunes stayed' asterisk from her title reign. For Nunes, it's a return to settle a grudge she insists was never really about competition — it was about respect she felt she was owed. They share a coach, a gym and now a main-card slot. On Nov. 14, only one walks out with the belt.