Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison: Biggest Women's MMA Fight Ever?
Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison: Biggest Women's MMA Fight Ever? originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
After Kayla Harrison's dominant UFC 316 victory over Julianna Peña, the Olympic gold medalist called out Nunes in the Octagon. When Nunes entered the Octagon to face off with Harrison, the narrative of the greatest women's MMA fighter of all time returning to face the relentless newcomer seeking to stamp her own legacy in the sport was officially set in motion.
Advertisement
The MMA world is buzzing with anticipation for this fight, and retired UFC legends Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen have declared on ESPN's Good Guy/Bad Guy show that the potential superfight between Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison is the biggest women's MMA fight ever.
UFC CEO Dana WhiteGetty Images
Cormier, a UFC Hall of Famer who has trained with Harrison in the past, emphasized the historic stakes of the matchup, stating, 'It feels, truly, like it is the biggest fight that we can make in women's MMA history.'
Watch the full Good Guy/Bad Guy episode here:
Sonnen, never one to underhype a bout, agreed with Cormier's sentiment, saying, "I'll tell you this, I think they could break into the top ten [fights of all time]. I think the fight is this big, Daniel.'
Advertisement
The former UFC heel claimed the fight's significance outweighs the usual pre-fight hype and theatrics of other major bouts.
'I watched them face off, and it was a very organic face-off. They said something that was very sweet, it was very sportsmanlike, but it was the truth,' Sonnen added. 'Nothing in promotion works as well as the truth, and they simply said, 'We both knew it was going to come to this.''
Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas also weighed in during UFC Atlanta media day, expressing excitement for the fight.
When asked about her opinion about the future matchup, she told reporters, 'Man, that was really good for women's MMA. I was very happy and very proud to see the way that the athletes handle themselves.'
Advertisement
While she has no official prediction for the future bout, she was intrigued by how it would potentially play out, saying, 'It'll be interesting to see how Kayla Harrison deals with Amanda's striking. I think that's probably mostly what everybody might be thinking, or might be the big question... but Amanda's got great jiu-jitsu, and she's super strong.'
While the UFC world is anticipating the matchup, logistical hurdles remain before the fight is close to official.
CEO Dana White revealed in the UFC 316 post-fight press conference that Nunes must re-enter the UFC Anti-Doping testing pool for six months before competing, pushing the earliest possible date to 2026.
With fighters like Namajunas rallying behind it and industry voices like Cormier and Sonnen amplifying its importance, this bout is poised to be a landmark moment that could redefine women's MMA for years to come.
Advertisement
Related: Heavyweight Drama: Jones vs. Ngannou 'Biggest Fight in UFC History'
Related: Dana White Confirms Jon Jones 'Agreed to Fight' Tom Aspinall, But What Happened Next?
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
23 minutes ago
- USA Today
Raoni Barcelos excited for shot to take out ex-champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos excited for shot to take out ex-champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC Atlanta Show Caption Hide Caption UFC Atlanta: Raoni Barcelos media day Raoni Barcelos speaks to reporters at the UFC Atlanta media day. ATLANTA – Raoni Barcelos met the media Wednesday ahead of his fight at UFC on ESPN 69. Barcelos (19-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) takes on Cody Garbrandt (14-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) in a bantamweight fight on the ESPN main card at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. At media day, Barcelos took questions from media members before his fight. Barcelos said the massive upset he pulled off in January – one of the biggest in UFC history against 12-1 favorite Payton Talbott at UFC 311 – gave him extra confidence to know he's heading in the right direction after a stretch of four losses in five fights. The fight with Garbrandt it one he said he's been asking to have for a while. "I asked for the fight a long time ago – when the hype was all on me," the 38-year-old Barcelos told MMA Junkie. "Cody was on his way to become a champion, and the fight never happened. It's all timing. Right now, I feel so much better (than when I first called him out). I'm much more complete of a fighter. "… The fight's happening at the right time. Cody's going to be a good fight for me, but this is the perfect time for me to fight him." Check out Barcelos' full media day interview in the video above.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Phillies' Aaron Nola Confirms Rib Stress Fracture Amid Setback
Phillies' Aaron Nola Confirms Rib Stress Fracture Amid Setback originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia Phillies placed starting pitcher Aaron Nola on the injured list with a right ankle sprain in May. Since he's been out, the Phillies have cobbled together innings from bullpen games, Taijuan Walker, and, fortunately, the emergence of Mick Abel. Advertisement But Nola suffered a setback in the form of a different issue that popped up last week. Nola had suffered a fracture right rib and has since been deemed to be out until at least mid-July, and after the All-Star break. Ahead of the Phillies' series against the Toronto Blue Jays, Nola spoke with reporters for the first time since his setback. There, he broke his silence on how he's feeling and where he stands in his recovery process. On Pattison on Twitter/X shared Nola's comments on his injury, setback, and how he's dealing with it going forward. "It definitely wasn't the news I was expecting," Nola said. "I felt it a little more than I had in my last bullpen... Just did an MRI, came back with a stress fracture. So it's just trying to do as much as I can with trainers to heal, and take time for it to heal." Advertisement Nola was then asked a follow-up question about whether he knew where his stress fracture originated, and if the bullpen session was a catalyst for the injury. "Honestly, I don't really know," Nola said. "I guess it just came from throwing. I'm not really sure how it comes about. I'm not really sure, I've never had a stress fracture in my rib before, this is really new to me." Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) walks off the field after the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Curry-Imagn Images Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic also shared part of Nola's answer about his injury on Twitter/X. She provided more context on Nola's feelings amid the injury and his original ankle issue, which landed him on the injured list. Advertisement "Aaron Nola said he was told it was a stress fracture in his right rib," wrote Varnes. "Said he feels discomfort when breathing heavy or throwing. The initial injury that sent him to the IL, a right ankle sprain, is feeling better." While it's encouraging to hear the original right ankle issue is feeling better, the update from Nola on his fractured rib is an unfortunate setback amid his recovery. This update from Nola is a tough one for the Phillies. After he signed a massive $172 million deal in the offseason, Nola was expected to be a huge part of the rotation. But this injury and his 6.16 ERA start have made the contract look like a poor decision. While there is still plenty of time to rebound, Nola isn't expected back into the rotation anytime soon. Advertisement Related: Phillies Get Horrible Aaron Nola Injury Update Related: Phillies' Zack Wheeler Reveals Retirement Plan This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chiefs' Travis Kelce Mom Lands Major Spot On Reality TV Show
Chiefs' Travis Kelce Mom Lands Major Spot On Reality TV Show originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has taken much of the family spotlight this offseason. His relationship with pop music princess Taylor Swift continues to capture the hearts of the many while the build-up to his farewell tour increases by the day. Kelce will retire from the NFL after this season. He, Patrick Mahomes and the rest of Chiefs Kingdom hope to pull out one more run to the Super Bowl. When that time ultimately comes for him to move on from the game, don't expect the Kelce family to go away from the public eye. Travis and his brother, Jason, co-host the "New Heights" podcast which has been quite successful. Even the family's matriarch Donna Kelce has found her way into the spotlight. In fact, she had a major announcement this week that will be sure to provide more Kelce content. Both Donna and Jason will participate in season four of the reality TV series "The Traitors." She made her announcement official with a post on Instagram captioned, "Sundays were just the beginning. I raised the two playmakers, but now it's mamas turn." The show will begin streaming on Peacock and has begun filming in Scotland. Donna and Jason will be joined by a number of reality TV stars from other programs along with a group of celebrities including Michael Rapoport and Tara Lipinksi. "The Traitors" splits contestants up into two categories of "Faithfuls" and "Traitors." The cast must decipher which among them are the "Traitors," picking a player each night to "murder." While Donna and Jason embark on this exciting new venture, Travis remains at home preparing for his final season. The next step on that journey comes next week when the Chiefs get started with their mandatory minicamp on June 17. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
