Following her recent championship victory in the UFC, Olympic gold medalist judoka Kayla Harrison has received advice to retire while at the pinnacle of her career.
Harrison secured the bantamweight title by submitting Julianna Pena at UFC 316 on Saturday night.
This win not only made Harrison the new bantamweight champion but also paved the way for a highly anticipated matchup against the former champion, Amanda Nunes.
The two former teammates faced off in the Octagon after the fight to build excitement for the potential clash, but opinions vary on whether this fight should happen next.
Demetrious Johnson`s Unexpected Advice
Flyweight legend Demetrious Johnson, widely considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, was among the viewers of UFC 316.
Surprisingly, Johnson, known as `Mighty Mouse`, suggested that Harrison should consider retirement rather than pursuing a potential legacy-defining fight against Nunes.
“If I was Kayla Harrison, I would retire from the sport,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel.
“Don’t fight Amanda Nunes. Amanda is gonna… We’ll talk about that in the breakdown.”
Later in his video discussion, Johnson elaborated on his reasons for advising Harrison to potentially step away from mixed martial arts.
“Kayla Harrison is calling out Amanda Nunes, I think that is a very bad idea.”
“Kayla Harrison is a world champion, but if you look at the roster of what Amanda Nunes fought and what Kayla Harrison has fought, there’s no f—— comparison… The talent pool Amanda Nunes has fought, blows everything Kayla Harrison had done in her entire career.”
“Amanda Nunes doesn’t need to come out of retirement. I think the only thing enticing her to come out of retirement is probably how easy the fight might be.”
“It’s not something I’m jumping out of my seat to see. I’d rather see Amanda Nunes stay retired, and maybe see Kayla Harrison fight one more time and then retire.”
Potential Delay for Amanda Nunes` Return
Amanda Nunes announced her retirement after a dominant performance against Irene Aldana at UFC 289 in June 2023, stepping away from the sport as a champion.
`The Lioness` has expressed interest in ending her retirement to potentially face Harrison later this year.
However, a significant obstacle could push the potential `super fight` between Nunes and Harrison back, possibly until 2026.
Nunes has not been included in the UFC`s official drug testing pool for the last two years.
Consequently, according to regulations, she must complete a six-month period of inclusion in the testing pool and undergo random tests before being cleared to compete again.
This means the earliest she could potentially return to the Octagon would be December, unless she receives a rare exemption.
Therefore, fans eager to see `The Lioness`, widely considered the greatest female fighter of all time, return to action may have to wait.
Gareth Pendleton