Amanda Nunes is anticipated to return from retirement to face former teammate Kayla Harrison for UFC gold, and an American High Group prospect is curious to see how the 2 bantamweights will fare contained in the octagon.
Nunes left ATT when Harrison climbed to the highest of the light-weight division below the PFL banner, admitting she didn’t really feel “secure” below the identical roof in Florida. Nunes ultimately ended her profession in 2023 as a two-division UFC queen, and Harrison parted methods with PFL as two-time champion to go on and conquer the belt that when belonged to Nunes.
With Nunes again within the sport for such a legacy combat, some marvel if that would find yourself being Harrison’s closing look in MMA. Former LFA bantamweight champion and UFC Rio newcomer Bia Mesquita, who trains with Harrison every day at American High Group in Florida, doesn’t suppose that’s the case.
“I believe for her this combat with Amanda is gonna be one among like her greatest objectives in her profession, however I don’t suppose she’s finished but,” Mesquita instructed MMA Combating. “Kayla has such an enormous fireplace inside her, she goes every single day to coach. That’s very inspiring as a result of she’s already an Olympic champion, she received PFL title twice, and now she’s the UFC champion, however she’s nonetheless there every single day chasing her greatest and finest model each single day. And preventing Amanda goes to be one among her objectives. However I don’t suppose she’s going to be finished but. I hear that she needs to combat on the White Home. So for certain one other combat.”
Greater than beating a Corridor of Famer in Nunes, Mesquita hopes that Harrison ultimately re-opens the featherweight division to chase one other UFC belt — and clears the trail for her at 135 kilos.
“I hope [Harrison] could make it as a result of it’s simply so good after we see girls opening quite a lot of doorways for different women which are developing, and I believe she has that potential,” Mesquita stated. “Perhaps open once more the 145 division, transfer up and go away the 135 for me [laughs]. After which we will each be champions.”
Harrison received 19 of 20 MMA bouts since her debut in 2018, eight by submission, and tapped out Holly Holm and Julianna Peña to win two of her three UFC fights. Nunes, 23-5 as a professional, is a black belt in jiu-jitsu however scored the overwhelming majority of her wins by knockout (13). Win or lose in her return from retirement, Nunes’ place in MMA historical past is already secured.
“[Nunes] opened quite a lot of doorways,” Mesquita stated. “She’s the one girl that has two titles, 135 and 145. She made her historical past and nothing’s gonna change. Doesn’t matter what’s gonna occur on this subsequent combat. I’m completely satisfied that she’s gonna come again as a result of followers miss watching her combat. However her historical past is made. Her title is there ceaselessly. And I’m very glad that she opened all of the doorways that I’m taking benefit proper now.”
The UFC has but to announce a date for the deliberate match between Harrison and Nunes.
On the identical night time Mesquita makes her octagon debut, nonetheless, one other teammate of hers is featured on the principle occasion when Mateusz Gamrot takes on Charles Oliveira. The jiu-jitsu legend expects an “superb combat” regardless of the brief discover side of it, with Gamrot changing Rafael Fiziev on lower than a month’s discover.
Mesquita is among the biggest rivals in jiu-jitsu historical past and stays undefeated in MMA with a file of 5-0, together with a bantamweight title win at LFA to result in a cope with the UFC. Her debut goes down Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, dealing with Irina Alekseeva.
“My coronary heart is split with a teammate and one of many greatest names of martial arts,” Mesquita stated. “Charles, I’m like an enormous fan of him, of every part he did in MMA, particularly being a grappler, all these submissions that made us go loopy throughout his entire profession.
“However Gamrot can also be able to go as a result of his wrestling is on level and it’s top-of-the-line within the division. As a grappling fan, I’m actually excited with this combat. This matchup, I believe was one of the best that would occur on this final minute as a result of Charles has the submissions makes an attempt that like can come like immediately, however Gamrot has a extremely good wrestling type that avoids that submission recreation.”
