Kayla Harrison exits her UFC 334 fight against WMMA GOAT Amanda Nunes battered but victorious…now what?
Harrison has been trying to cement her place as one of the best in WMMA history, but has had bad luck entering the UFC after many of the top women in her division have left. Ronda Rousey had retired, Amanda Nunes had retired, Cris Cyborg was considered sore and released into the wild. Until Saturday night, Kayla’s best win in 2024 was over old Holly Holm.
She now has a tough win over Amanda Nunes to hang her hat on. Nunes looked as lethal as ever in his first fight in three years, but the two-time Olympic gold-winning judoka’s pushiness cost him the first three rounds before finishing in the fourth. (see highlights here). He beat Harrison early, but gave up the punch and ended up fighting for his life on the ground. Harrison made him pay every time he clinched and tapped him as soon as he exposed his neck, but it really feels like Nunes earned the loss for Harrison’s win.
Still, no one is going to remember specific things in a year. Harrison could leave the sport with 20 wins, 4-0 in the UFC, having defended the women’s bantamweight belt against the greatest of all time. The W next to his name at UFC 334 is looking better as time goes on. Given how much he suffers to earn 135, why continue
He certainly doesn’t have many good chances to fight. Let’s run through the possibilities: Nunes’ appearance at UFC 334 doesn’t create much demand for a featherweight rematch. Ronda Rousey is retired again and deservedly so he hates the current UFC management the cornerstone of his comeback fight earlier this year. And UFC CEO Dana White described Cris Cyborg as a “steroid user.” as “a nightmare to deal with” in 2019 when he released her from her contract.
Even the only woman to ever beat Harrison, Larissa Pacheco, isn’t a likely choice. After ending his contract with the PFL at the end of 2025, Pacheco contacted UFC suitors. “I’m not interested, but thank you,” is the text response he received From Mick Maynard.
So where does that leave Kayla Harrison? We feel this leaves him with few options beyond retirement.