Kayla Harrison continues to be in celebration mode after turning into champion with a dominant second-round submission end over Julianna Pena at UFC 316 however her focus will quickly shift on to a showdown with former teammate Amanda Nunes.
Instantly after she had the title wrapped round her waist, Harrison known as for Nunes to affix her within the cage the place they first embraced after which shared a faceoff for what’s already being touted as probably the largest struggle in girls’s MMA historical past. Whereas the timing for the struggle hasn’t been decided as a result of Nunes is popping out of retirement, which requires her to bear six months of drug testing as a part of the UFC’s anti-doping program, Harrison is staying affected person as a result of she is aware of the magnitude of this matchup.
She additionally makes it very clear that there’s no private animosity with this struggle, though the narrative is already being constructed that they had been as soon as coaching companions at American Prime Group and Nunes overtly acknowledged this previous weekend that she left the health club particularly to keep away from a possible battle with Harrison.
“I imply at first I believed she left as a result of she misplaced [to Julianna Pena] however why would she say that if she didn’t imply it?” Harrison informed MMA Preventing after listening to Nunes’ feedback. “I suppose from what I’ve heard and am coming to grasp, I went to that struggle. I used to be within the stands the evening Julianna beat Amanda and I feel that she had this misunderstanding — I feel she thought I used to be going to do what she did on Saturday. I feel she thought I used to be going to get within the cage and problem her.
“So to her, I used to be sort of going behind her again and stuff nevertheless it’s not true. Clearly, I didn’t signal with UFC and I stayed with the PFL. It was not even near being true. Perhaps that’s why she left, I’m probably not positive and it doesn’t matter. I do know that I’ve carried myself accordingly.”
Nunes known as American Prime Group house for an enormous a part of her profession however in the end cut up with the Florida based mostly health club following that loss to Pena, which led to beginning her personal facility the place she now holds her coaching camps.
For her half, Nunes mentioned a lot the identical as Harrison that she holds no unwell will in the direction of her former teammate however her exit was facilitated as a result of “I knew this struggle would occur someday” and it might be an enormous battle for the health club.
Harrison clearly can’t get inside Nunes’ head relating to no matter choices she made for her personal profession however the two-time Olympic gold medalist holds her head excessive in terms of the connection she’s constructed with all of her teammates over time.
“I do know that I’ve been a great teammate,” Harrison mentioned. “Everybody on the health club was like till she left, everybody within the health club was doing the whole lot of their energy to not let me go to the UFC. Dan [Lambert] was like ‘the cash, PFL, blah, blah, blah.’
“I’ve been very affected person. God’s plan is the suitable plan. God’s plan, God’s time, not Kayla’s time. No matter she thinks, I’m OK with. I’ve peace with it as a result of I do know who I’m and we’re good.”
Even after they had been working below the identical roof, Harrison says she by no means spent quite a lot of time really coaching with Nunes so it’s not like they had been better of mates and now this struggle is breaking them aside by some means.
That mentioned, Harrison would have fortunately labored with Nunes as a result of she sees lots of her present teammates doing the identical regardless of competing in the identical division in promotions just like the UFC and PFL.
“No we weren’t essential coaching companions,” Harrison mentioned. “We weren’t in the identical promotion. We weren’t in the identical weight class. I all the time made myself available. I made it very clear if ever want a drilling companion, you want a punching bag, you want something, and Mike [Brown] knew that, Amanda knew that, everybody knew that. However we educated not lots. That was OK.
“At the moment, I suppose I’m bizarre however to me I see Johnny Eblen and Austin [Vanderford] and Yaroslav [Amosov] and Dalton [Rosta], all these guys, all coaching collectively on a regular basis, constructing one another up, leveling up, leveling up, leveling up. I see Dustin [Poirier] and Dakota Bush and Grant Dawson and [Mateusz] Gamrot and all these guys coaching collectively on a regular basis, leveling up, leveling up. So for me, it’s like we would struggle sometime however let’s stage the f*ck up! Let’s go! However we didn’t practice lots and I’m OK with that, that was her alternative.”
In an ideal world, Harrison would finally face Nunes in a battle between two of the best blended martial artists on the planet and that’s the one storyline wanted to promote the struggle.
However she is aware of there’s an opportunity issues may get just a little heated sooner or later and Harrison accepts that’s simply a part of the game.
Nonetheless, Harrison has undoubtedly seen gyms virtually torn aside when former teammates find yourself battling one another. She witnessed that first hand when Colby Covington left American Prime Group and engaged in a bitter rivalry with former pal and coaching companion Jorge Masvidal — a scenario that acquired so unstable that they not solely fought within the UFC however Masvidal was really arrested following a road struggle with Covington.
That’s absolutely the last item Harrison desires in terms of her personal struggle with Nunes.
“My hope is we will do that the martial artist approach and simply present up and have respect and convey out the best possible in one another,” Harrison mentioned. “I don’t want a Colby-Masvidal scenario. That may suck.
“However I’m ATT until I die. Don’t f*ck with my homies. I’m an ATT woman via and thru. These are my folks. I’m OK defending myself. You understand I’m not shy. I’m not afraid to chirp again if I must.”
