There’s a lot of speculation that UFC 334 may feature the first championship double-retirement fight, with both Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes potentially walking away from the sport following their women’s bantamweight superfight. But if Harrison is considering it, she’s also considering another path: a second fight with Nunes for the 145 pound belt.
Nunes retired from UFC back in 2023 with both the women’s 135 and 145 pound belts firmly in her possession. The UFC retired the women’s featherweight
division when Amanda left, leaving former lightweight fighter Kayla Harrison in a tough position, forced to cut massive amounts of weight to make 135.
So after the two fight for the bantamweight belt, Harrison wants to kickstart 145 again by fighting Nunes for the featherweight belt.
“I feel like I am gonna prove I’m the champion on on Saturday night,” Harrison said at the UFC 334 pre-fight press conference. “And then I’ll give her an automatic rematch at 145 so I can snatch that other belt.”
Thus far Harrison’s biggest opponent in the UFC has been the weight cut, and she’s suggested she’d rather retire than keep trying to cut to 135 pounds. Now she’s giving the UFC a path to keeping her around at 145, but will they take it? The womens’ divisions are not in a great place, with 135 the weakest it’s been in its 14 year history. 145 never managed to get off the ground. So what’s the point of bringing it back?
We can give two reasons: Harrison vs Nunes 2 at 145, and then Harrison vs. Cris Cyborg. After that, the UFC can do what it wants with the de facto women’s heavyweight belt. But those two fights would be worth bringing it back in 2027.
