Kayla HarrisonvsAmanda Nunes

Holy shit, this is actually happening. Amanda Nunes is coming out of retirement to face Kayla Harrison for the bantamweight title at UFC 324, and the MMA world is losing its mind. The Lioness walked away after beating Irene Aldana back in June 2023, cementing herself as the GOAT of women's MMA. Now she's back, and she's already talking about becoming a triple champ by dropping to flyweight after this. That's the Nunes we know, never satisfied, always hunting. Harrison's been on an absolute tear since joining the UFC.

She submitted Holly Holm with a rear naked choke at UFC 300, decisioned Ketlen Vieira, then snatched that title from Julianna Pena with a nasty kimura in round two this past June. Three straight wins at bantamweight, and now she's got the biggest test of her life. This is the fight that tells us if Harrison's judo and grappling can hang with the most complete fighter women's MMA has ever seen. Here's the thing about this matchup. Nunes has been out for over two and a half years, which is a long time away from the octagon even for someone with her resume. But remember, she's got wins over everyone who mattered, including two victories over Pena (avenging that shocking submission loss at UFC 269).

Harrison's the bigger, stronger grappler with that Olympic pedigree, but Nunes has the striking, the power, and the experience in these massive moments. The southpaw versus orthodox matchup adds another wrinkle, and both women know how to finish fights. The preparation for this superfight has been intense on both sides. Nunes brought in Larissa Pacheco to simulate Harrison's style in camp, and Pacheco knows Harrison better than anyone after their PFL battles. Meanwhile, Harrison's been keeping her focus sharp, staying professional about the fight placement on the card even though she's admittedly fired up this title fight isn't the main event. She's made it clear the fight isn't personal, she's just been patiently waiting for everything to come together.