Amanda Nunes’ opponent for her UFC return was confirmed in Newark, New Jersey on June 7.
Nunes stepped back inside the Octagon to face off with Kayla Harrison after the former two-time Olympic gold medallist submitted Julianna Pena to win the bantamweight title.
Shortly after the fight, Nunes spoke about her history with Harrison having formerly trained alongside her at American Top Team.
‘The Lioness’ would go on to leave the gym because she always believed that their paths would eventually cross inside the Octagon.
While Demetrious Johnson claimed Harrison should retire and that he isn’t overly clamouring for this matchup, a former UFC star who has seen the two women go head-to-head in the past had a very different take.
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Jorge Masvidal picks Kayla Harrison to beat Amanda Nunes after sharing what their training sessions were like
In April of last year, Jorge Masvidal appeared in-studio on The MMA Hour where he reacted to Kayla Harrison’s dominant debut against Holly Holm at UFC 300.
From the moment that the former PFL star was signed to the promotion, there were talks of her welcoming a returning Amanda Nunes back to the Octagon.
Masvidal has been one of the staples of American Top Team for some time and as a result, he’s been close to both Nunes and Harrison over the years.
‘Gamebred’ wouldn’t share all of the details but he did speak about the time where he got to watch the two women train together before ‘The Lioness’ left the gym to set up her own camp.
“I was there for one of them, not the one that I wanted to be. The first time that they trained, I didn’t get to see that one. I heard all about it and I would spill my guts to you but you can’t really do that. I was there for other ones and I can tell you it’s a f—— PPV. It’s a PPV because it’s just they’re both felines who are not going to give an inch to no other chick.”
Masvidal highlighted both women’s strengths but ultimately, he gave his prediction for the fight, praising Harrison for her incredible work ethic, which could make the difference considering that Nunes hasn’t fought in two years.
“I’ll put my money on Kayla right now. Don’t kick my ass Amanda, she’s gonna beat me up now. But yeah, I’m gonna put my money on Kayla.”
Jorge Masvidal claims American Top Team had to stop Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison from training together
Jorge Masvidal also said that while he was there for one of the training sessions between Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison, there weren’t too many of them.
The former BMF titleholder recalled that with both women being extremely competitive, they weren’t good for one another because the sessions would get out of hand.
“Ultimately, the sessions that they had were, you could count them on a hand because they were just getting too rowdy with each other where they’re going to end up getting hurt cuz they’re going on fight mode the full time. Neither one of them is backing down.”
Nunes has claimed that she trained with Harrison while she was out of shape but she’s now looking to show the current champion the true ‘Lioness’ later this year.
Whether the matchup happens in 2025 or not, Masvidal has very high expectations for it based on what he has witnessed in person.
“It’s gonna be one of the best women’s fights ever when it happens.”