Former UFC bantamweight champion and current featherweight champion Amanda Nunes, has opened up about the part that Kayla Harrison played in her decision to leave American Top Team.
Nunes decided to leave the Florida based gym back in January, and many fighters on the team were upset about the situation that made her want to leave the gym. Her decision came just a month after she lost her championship to Julianna Pena by TKO. Pena was the biggest underdog to win the championship in UFC history and is the biggest upset to date in the UFC.
Nunes immediately accepted a fight to run the fight back, and the two are currently coaching on this seasons ‘Ultimate Fighter’.
Amanda Nunes claims that there was no girls at American Top Team when she first joined and there wasn’t any pressure put on her in the gym from potential title challengers
“There were no girls when I got to American Top Team. I was the first woman to bring two belts and put the women’s team in history. When Kayla got there and then Kunitskaya, it began creating a weird situation for me because that was my territory.” Nunes said in an interview with ‘Trocação Franca’ (Transcribed by BJPenn.com)
Nunes also said that she didn’t feel very safe with Harrison at the gym and always trying to take shots at her in the media. Harrison is currently undefeated in the PFL and is the most dominant women’s fighter in the organization.
“And then Kayla started talking. I was kind of, ‘Man, I’m not safe even in my territory.’ I was kind of cornered, even because we share the same coaches. She trains with Mike Brown and I train with Mike Brown. I was already training with them when she got there.”
What do you think of Nunes’ decision to leave ATT? Was she in the right?