Two years have passed since Amanda Nunes’ last UFC fight.
The greatest female fighter of all time retired from the sport on top, laying down her two UFC titles in the Octagon after her eleventh title fight win at UFC 289 in June 2023.
Since inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, Amanda Nunes is set to come out of retirement in a super-fight with newly-crowned bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison.
Former teammates at American Top Team, Harrison called out Nunes after she submitted Julianna Peña at UFC 316. Nunes and Harrison had an epic face-off inside the cage for what could be the biggest fight in women’s MMA history.
There’s some uncertainty about when we can see Harrison vs. Nunes as the returning Nunes faces a six-month delay because she’s not in the drug testing pool.
When she is eligible to fight again, Nunes has been advised not to fight Harrison right away.
Rampage Jackson wants tune-up fight for Amanda Nunes
By the time Nunes comes back, ‘The Lioness’ will be nearing three years of inactivity.
Going up against a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist in judo for her return, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson says a tune-up fight would be a good idea to get Nunes ready for the reigning champ.
“I would like to see Nunes do like a warm-up fight,” Jackson said on The Jaxxon Podcast.
“But, I know UFC don’t believe in warm-up fights.”
“She’s the greatest woman fighter of all time though,” former UFC champion TJ Dillashaw replied, insisting Nunes doesn’t need a tune-up fight.
“Still, she’s human,” Jackson said of Nunes.
While Nunes fighting another contender before Harrison is highly unlikely, it’s not the worst idea in the world after two years of retirement.
Luke Rockhold calls Kayla Harrison an ‘interim champion’
Last Saturday, Harrison was crowned the undisputed women’s bantamweight champion of the world. But with Nunes returning, not everyone sees it that way.
Ahead of the likely super-fight, former UFC middleweight king Luke Rockhold has labeled Harrison as an ‘interim champion’.
“Nunes has walked away as champ and she returns as champ,” Rockhold said of Nunes.
“She really is the champ. She still is the champ.
“This is the interim champ,” Rockhold said of Harrison.
“This is an interim championship…
“Considering she’s back, she was #1 when she left and she’s still #1 now,” Rockhold said of Nunes.