NEW YORK – When Amanda Nunes first got word her return from retirement was on hold, she was disappointed, naturally.
As it turned out, it might have been a blessing in disguise. Not only did Nunes get a little extra prep time, but the timing of Kayla Harrison’s return from surgery to fight Nunes meant the former champ gets to have a full-circle moment this week.
Nunes, a former two-division champ at women’s bantamweight and featherweight, retired unexpectedly in 2023 and vacated both belts. She announced a return after Harrison dominated Julianna Peña to win the title in June 2025, and they were booked for January.
But Harrison (19-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) needed neck surgery, and that forced the delay to UFC 334’s co-main event Saturday at the famed Madison
Square Garden (Paramount+). For Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC), things worked out perfectly.
“Giving me more time was better – definitely,” Nunes told MMA Junkie on Wednesday at UFC 334’s media day. “Being here in New York is amazing. I want to fight all the places in America. Every time – Vegas, Vegas Vegas. I want to go somewhere else. When I found out it was supposed to be here, I was so happy.
“It’s the circle of my life. I came to New York when I was 20 years old to chase this dream, and now I’m going to fight in New York. It’s awesome. This is amazing.”
Harrison is a 2-1 favorite to defend her title against Nunes, who has been gone nearly 3.5 years. And while she’s got all that time off working against her, Harrison has a layoff of nearly 18 months, and the potential uncertainty around her injury.
But Nunes said when it comes to her own time away, it’s not a thing she’s concerned with.
"The time off was amazing for me," she said. "It’s not like I lost my belt and was out of shape, losing fights, bad with my career – I left at the top. I’m not here today as a challenger. I’m here today as a double champion still. The break was very important for me – like your job: Sometimes you need a break to reset your life, to reset everything and come back stronger.
"This is exactly what happened with me. I needed a break. I did the break at the right time … My mind, my body, my soul – I needed a reset."
Now Nunes’ plan is to recapture one of the two titles she used to hold and resume her career. She’s not planning to be back for one fight, win the title, then walk away again. Georges St-Pierre did that, but Nunes said she’ll stay till she gets one key message.
“I’m back, and I’m going to stay till my body tells me, ‘We’re good now – rest for good,’” Nunes said. “But definitely, it’s not right now. I have a lot to do – nothing to prove, but I love to do this. Everything now is a ‘plus’ for me – history, memories.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 334: Kayla Harrison’s delay left Amanda Nunes with mixed emotions
