In what was just her third UFC fight, Kayla Harrison cemented herself as a combat sport all-timer with her victory over Julianna Peña. While Harrison’s trophy cabinet is already very full, capturing a UFC title for the first time is an important addition to that collection.
With her title win at UFC 316, Harrison becomes the first female fighter to win an Olympic gold medal and a UFC championship. The win also bumped her up four places to #3 in the pound-for-pound rankings. She’s now only behind the UFC’s two other women’s champs, Valentina Shevchenko and Zhang Weili.
While Harrison will still be rightfully celebrating her maiden UFC title, fans and analysts are already looking towards her next opponent. Harrison has defeated two former division champions in Peña and Holly Holm, as well as current #3 Ketlen Vieira. It seems as if there are few fighters in the division who could now expect to defeat the new bantamweight champ.
According to a former MMA fighter turned stand-up comedian and podcaster, a dream fight for Harrison and the UFC fans lies in another former bantamweight champ. That would be Amanda Nunes. But rather interestingly, the UFC alumni has suggested that the fight should take place in a higher weight class.
“I don’t know if this is a popular opinion. But to get the best Kayla, to get the best Amanda Nunes, especially having all that time off… I wouldn’t mind to see the best performance out of both of them. Amanda and Kayla, to have that fight at 145,” argued Brendan Schaub on his Thiccc Boy podcast.
Schaub has a unique insight into the weight cutting debate. He dated former bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey at the height of her UFC career. Rousey cited a ‘terrible’ weight cut as one of the reasons behind her shock loss to Holly Holm in 2015.
“Still have it for the belt, probably the last 145 fight ever. But just to make sure you’re getting the best out of both athletes. Why force them to cut to 135? When I would imagine Amanda Nunes wants it at 145 too. She doesn’t want to cut to ’35. Kayla sure as f**k doesn’t want to cut to ’35.
“So I don’t think it matters if they do it at ’35 or ’45. So why not do it at ’45 so Kayla and Amanda Nunes don’t have to kill themselves and you get a watered-down product,” explained Schaub.
Nunes hasn’t fought since her bantamweight title defense against Irene Aldana in July 2023. And despite her age and time away from the Octagon, the 37-year-old would still provide a worthy opponent to Harrison.
Schaub: Weight cutting is stopping us from seeing the best of Kayla Harrison
While Kayla Harrison is making her domination of the bantamweight division look easy, it’s anything but, according to Schaub. The podcaster detailed the double Olympic gold medallist’s grueling regime.
“To make 135, which is not natural for her, she has to train Monday through Sunday. She has to only eat what’s in the refrigerator from her trainer,” revealed Schaub.
He added, “She feels like she’s going to pass out multiple times a day. She has one scoop of peanut butter. This isn’t healthy, but that’s how much of a professional she is.”
As MMA fans will know, there’s so much access to the fight camps and physical preparation ahead of these big fights. But one area that is discussed, but not given detailed coverage, is the strict dietary regimes adopted by fighters to make weight.
While the physical and psychological effects can be very dangerous, weight cutting also impairs the quality of the fight. Both in the later stages of their careers, a Harrison and Nunes fight would benefit from being at a weight that suits both fighters. If that has to be at 145, perhaps Schaub is onto something.
