Kayla Harrison scored a huge win over Holly Holm in her Octagon debut.
Going into her UFC 300 clash with ‘The Preacher’s Daughter,’ the two-time Olympic gold medalist was a sizeable -450 favorite — and for good reason. It took Harrison less than a round-and-a-half to finish Holm and establish herself as the next big thing in the women’s bantamweight division.
Speaking with Joe Rogan immediately following her coming-out party in Las Vegas, Kayla Harrison declared that she would have UFC gold around her waist by the end of 2024.
Taking in the action was former two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes. ‘The Lioness’ took to X while appearing to wait for a callout from Harrison that would never come.
#ufc300 pic.twitter.com/5VYCApO0Ke
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) April 14, 2024
With Nunes walking away from the sport following her UFC 289 title defense against Irena Aldana, the bantamweight division has moved on from Nunes — except for Julianna Pena who’s still salty about missing out on the rubber match.
The Path to Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes is Clear
Currently, UFC veteran Raquel Pennington is holding down the division as the reigning bantamweight champ. She is expected to square off with ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ later this year with the winner presumably squaring off with Kayla Harrison next.
If Harrison goes on to win the title, a fight with the returning Amanda Nunes seems to be the next logical step.
Amanda Nunes is largely considered to be the greatest female fighter in mixed martial arts history, having won both the bantamweight and featherweight world titles during her decade-long run in the Octagon. Her most notable victory undoubtedly came against Cris Cyborg — the only other female fighter who could potentially top her in the great GOAT debate.
She also holds two wins over former flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko and a slew of current or former champions, including Julianna Pena, Raquel Pennington, Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, and Germaine de Randamie.
