Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight queen Kayla Harrison decisively defeated the former two-division champion Amanda Nunes in UFC 334last night’s (Saturday, November 14, 2026) co-main event at Madison Square Garden in New York featured the returning Lioness in the fourth round with a rear-naked choke (watch the highlights).
But this does not mean that their business is completely finished.
During the UFC 334 post-fight press conference (look here), UFC CEO Dana White was asked if he would consider booking an immediate rematch between Harrison and Nunes at 145 pounds.
“Sure, yeah,” White said. “I would do it again.”
Harrison proposed that exact scenario ahead of UFC 334, promising Nunes an automatic featherweight rematch if she successfully defends her bantamweight championship.
“I feel like I’m going to prove that I’m the champion on Saturday night,” Harrison said at the pre-fight press conference. “And then I’m going to give him an automatic rematch at 145 so I can snag that other belt.”
There’s just one small problem: this “second strap” technically no longer exists.
Nunes retired in June 2023 while holding the UFC bantamweight and featherweight titles. The promotion never crowned a new 145-pound champion, created an official ranking, or attempted to rebuild the division, shutting it down after “Lioness” left.
White’s response confirmed that he’s considering a rematch at 145 pounds, but he didn’t say if the UFC would officially reinstate the featherweight championship for it…please no.
A move back up would certainly appeal to Harrison, who previously competed at lightweight and featherweight before making a brutal 135lbs during his UFC career. After defeating Nunes, the 36-year-old admitted she was unsure about her fighting future.
“I have a lot of decisions to make when I get home,” Harrison said. “Every time I make weight, I say never again. So we’ll see. After this fight, I’ll definitely have some injuries that I need to heal.”
Harrison has teased retirement several times and said before UFC 334 that he could retire from combat sports satisfied with everything he has accomplished.
Nunes’ future is just as uncertain. The 38-year-old returned after more than three years in retirement specifically to challenge Harrison, but did not give a post-fight interview or say whether she plans to compete again after the loss.
While White is ready to weigh in at 145 pounds, there’s also a legitimate possibility that Harrison, Nunes, or both may never fight again.
If they do, Harrison-Nunes 2 could be enough to bring the UFC’s dead featherweight championship back to life.
Click for complete UFC 334 results, coverage and highlights HERE.
