Olympic gold medalist and UFC bantamweight Kayla Harrison has no issues with potentially facing her former teammate Amanda Nunes, revealing that her background in judo has prepared her for this exact scenario.
Speaking on The Bohnfire podcast from her Florida home, Harrison addressed the possibility of facing Nunes, who made a surprise appearance at a recent UFC press conference declaring her intention to fight the winner of Harrison’s upcoming title bout against Julianna Peña.
“She’s the greatest of all time to me, that’s a very clear distinction,” Harrison said about Nunes. “I didn’t come to the sport to be the second greatest, you know? May we share the cage with respect and dignity, and may the best woman win.”
When asked about their previous training sessions together at American Top Team, Harrison explained that they primarily focused on drilling and situational work rather than going all-out in sparring. She dismissed any controversy about their past training relationship, noting that in judo, training with future opponents is standard practice.
“Where I come from in judo, everybody trains with everybody all the time,” Harrison explained. “A month before my Rio games, I was in France training with the girl who I fought in the finals. To me, it’s not a big deal. We go out, we bow, we shake, and may the best woman win.”
Harrison, who will face Peña for the UFC women’s bantamweight title on June 7 in New Jersey, appears comfortable with the prospect of eventually facing Nunes. It would realize her goal of testing herself against someone she considers the greatest female fighter of all time.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion is now fully focused on her upcoming title fight, stating she’s “preparing for Godzilla” and “the hardest fight I’ve ever had.” With her trademark confidence, Harrison concluded: “I don’t care how I win. I just know that I’m going to win.”
