Outside Source
The promotion released a number of matches for its Jan. 24 UFC 324 event, which will kick off the new deal with Paramount that includes an end to pay-per-views. In additional to its main attraction of Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight strap, the organization has one more title fight on deck: Kayla Harrison (19-1) vs. Amanda Nunes (23-5). The ladies faced off at UFC 316 in June, after Harrison obliterated Julianna Pena to claim the throne.
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The belt is not two-time Olympic gold medalist Harrison’s first in major MMA competition, as she made her way to the promotion by wrecking most of the foes she faced in the Professional Fighters League. Her lone career defeat along the way came to Larissa Pacheco in the finals of the 2022 tourney, but it followed two wins for Harrison over the Brazilian.
The 35-year-old departed the confines of the PFL at the end of 2023 after a showcase matchup against Aspen Ladd to get back in the win column. Her 2024 campaign went swimmingly, as she introduced herself to UFC brass by throttling ex-champ Holly Holm with a rear-naked choke. Less than six months later, she punched her ticket to gold by outpointing Ketlen Vieira, and she snared the crown by submitting Pena in less than two rounds.
Yeah, I’m Thinking I’m Back
Former pound-for-pound No. 1 female fighter, Nunes retired in 2023 after defending her bantamweight strap against Irene Aldana. That marked the first defense of that second reign at 135 pounds, as she lost and subsequently regained that title against Pena. Before getting tapped by Pena, Nunes served as a simultaneous two-division champ, defending at both bantamweight and featherweight.
Nunes holds the distinction of celebrating wins over every other woman to hold the bantamweight and featherweight thrones, except for Harrison. “The Lioness” went on a historic run from 2025 to 2021 where she prevailed in 12 straight bouts, with a belt on the line for nine of those. Nunes, formerly of American Top Team, left the camp years ago due to the potential of facing Harrison in the future.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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