One sparring session with Amanda Nunes made Kayla Harrison realize that she needed to switch gyms.
After winning a couple of world titles under the PFL banner, Harrison has worked her way up the bantamweight rankings inside the Octagon, securing wins over Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira. Now, the two-time Olympian will look to add UFC gold to her collection when she challenges reigning 135-pound queen Julianna Pena at UFC 316 on Saturday, June 7.
While Harrison’s skills on the ground are undeniable, her striking has been the weakest part of her game, which could potentially pose a problem for her against someone as scrappy as ‘The Venezuelan Vixen.’
However, Harrison has taken significant steps to improve her boxing. In 2018, she moved to Florida to train at American Top Team, previously the home of former two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes.
In fact, it was a single sparring session with ‘The Lioness’ who inspired Harrison to set up camp at ATT in hopes of rounding out her skill set.
“I think I did MACO Monday, and then the next day I sparred Amanda, and I was like, ‘Oh [expletive], I gotta move here.’ So a month later, I packed up my stuff and I moved from Boston to Florida,” Harrison told Mike Bohn.
Kayla Harrison is on a collision course with ‘The Lioness’
With a win over Julianna Pena this summer, Harrison will set the stage for a long-awaited clash with Nunes, who all but confirmed that she’d be coming out of retirement to face the winner.
‘The Lioness’ walked away from the sport in 2023 following a dominant victory over Irene Aldana at UFC 289. Even then, Nunes’ retirement felt temporary with there being little to no competition for her inside the Octagon. A showdown with Harrison could change all that, but it sounds like she’ll even settle for a trilogy fight with Pena, should ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ score another stunning upset on MMA’s biggest stage in June.
