UFC Great Amanda Nunes Plans On Return; Eyes Winner Of Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison

UFC legend Amanda Nunes is planning on ending her retirement. She wants to fight the winner of the UFC 316 women’s bantamweight title fight between Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison. Nunes (23-5) retired in June 2023 and will be attending the event in Newark, NJ. Maybe there will be a face-off after the fight. 

The Return Of Amanda Nunes

The former two-division UFC champion is not a stranger to either of the women in this title fight. Peña (11-5) defeated Nunes by submission for the belt in 2021 in one of the biggest shockers in history. In an immediate rematch, Nunes earned a dominant unanimous decision victory. Harrison (18-1) is a former sparring partner and teammate. 

There have been no official comments from UFC President Dana White on whether Nunes would be fighting for the 135-pound title right away. Nunes said, “I missed [fighting] so much…Kayla or Julianna, I’m going to be ready,” during a fan Q&A. 

At the time of her retirement, Nunes was the No. 1 pound-for-pound women’s fighter in the world. She shared that she would love to fight on the same card as longtime No. 1 pound-for-pound male fighter Jon Jones. The two co-headlined events back in 2018 and 2019. 

Final Thoughts

An Amanda Nunes return will generate immediate buzz no matter who the opponent is. We’ll likely have to get through UFC 316 on Saturday night, followed by 317, 318, and 319 in the next few months as those cards are already full. Therefore, we may have to wait until September to see Nunes inside the Octagon again. Fans can now look forward to the return of “The Lioness.”