Former two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes opened her earlier rivalry with Kayla Harrison.
After the induction of Amanda Nunes in the UFC Hall of Fame this summer, the former two-division title holder could stand on the edge of a return to the Octagon to see the Julianna Pena against Kayla Harrison winner. A matchup with Harrison would reunite Nunes with one of her former training partners after a controversial leave from the American top team.
Nunes withdrew from MMA after beating Irene Aldana in her last Bantamweight title defense of her last women at UFC 289. But since her pension fight, Nunes has repeatedly plagued a comeback, possibly for a trilogy matchup with Pena.
But if Harrison Pena is displayed, tensions between Nunes and Harrison will go to the foreground after their former beef.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Amanda Nunes was 'out of shape' during earlier laps with Kayla Harrison
Nunes and Harrison previously trained together in their combat sport career at ATT, where Nunes left the gym messy and hints to Harrison as the main reason behind the change. Before Harrison signed last year at the UFC, she had long teased a potential matchup with nunes, despite the fact that the latter did not entertain much in the audience.
During a recent interview with UFC Brasil, Nunes gave insight into training with Harrison during Att for her departure.
“We had no partnership in the gym,” said Nunes. “There wasn't anything like that, but we did some training here and there. I was out of shape, I was always traveling, came back and did some training. It wasn't like we were always training [together] Or I was in shape and training with Kayla. Never so nice.
“It was always something random, but that's it. I am ready for everyone. I mean it.” (H/T MMA Fighting)
After Pena de Bantamweight had recovered throne on UFC 307, she cried nunes for a trilogy that annoyed Harrison, which was only a few minutes after her victory backstage. But Nunes comes back earlier for a collision with Harrison versus a third fight with Pena.
Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison result could determine the comeback plan of Amanda Nunes
First things first for Pena and Harrison while they are preparing to fight in the Co-Main event of UFC 316. After having 2-0 in her UFC official period, Harrison wants to close her MMA career with a victory of the UFC championship.
Pena defeated Raquel Pennington on UFC 307 in her first fight since her back-to-back collisions with Nunes. She pulled the upset about nunes at UFC 269 before she fell into their rematch on UFC 277.
The ladies' bantam weight division can get a much needed boost when nunes returns to the Octagon towards the end of the Octagon. UFC 316 could complete or make the UFC Hall of Fame Inductee a comeback or not.
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