Kayla Harrison’s manager has his doubts that Amanda Nunes will return to the Octagon following Harrison’s incredible title-winning performance at UFC 316.
This past Saturday at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, Kayla Harrison successfully dethroned Julianna Pena to become the new women’s bantamweight champion after submitting her in the second round.
Ahead of the fight, fans were concerned for Harrison because of her utterly brutal weight-cut, and following the event, Harrison has revealed exactly what goes into her training regime to get down to 135lbs.
Now reigning over the women’s bantamweight division, though, the Olympic gold medalist will be eager to continue defending her title and further enhancing her legacy as one of the greatest combat sports stars ever.
Harrison’s manager doubts Nunes’ comeback despite UFC 316 face off
Immediately after her incredible title-winning performance, Harrison was faced with her likely next opponent as former champion Amanda Nunes stepped into the Octagon and faced off with Harrison.
‘The Lioness’ is widely regarded as the greatest female fighter of all time, and with that in mind, Harrison has been advised to retire instead of fighting the heavy-hitting Brazilian.
However, the potential fight between Harrison and Nunes faces a major hurdle as Nunes still isn’t back in the UFC Anti-Doping testing pool, delaying her comeback by at least six months.
The Brazilian’s comeback has been doubted by the new champion’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, who has revealed that he was sat next to Nunes during the UFC 316 co-main event, and she clearly wanted Pena to win the fight.
“When Amanda was in the UFC, no one really cared, when she left, nobody cared,” Abdelaziz told Submission Radio.
“Now, Kayla brought her back and Kayla created a moment like, ‘This is a big fight’, the environment and how she brought her in.
“I have my doubts about Amanda. First, she was sat next to me and her energy, she wanted Kayla to lose. She was cheering for Kayla, she definitely wanted Julianna to win, that’s 100%. And if you want to fight someone, you want them to win to challenge them, right?
“She wanted Kayla to lose, I’m just being real,” the manager continued.
Harrison’s manager claims ‘nobody cares’ about Amanda Nunes
One of the main reasons Nunes retired from the UFC in 2023 is because there was a severe lack of contenders at both 135lbs and 145lbs.
Despite that, Abdelaziz has claimed that ‘nobody gives a s—‘ about Nunes and that the main interest regarding a potential title fight between Harrison and the Brazilian is on the side of the current champ.
“All respect to Amanda, but no one gives a s— about Amanda. Let’s just be real. When she left nobody cared. Kayla has made her relevant again… (Harrison) is gonna smash her face… She’s gonna make her quit,” Abdelaziz stated.