Kayla Harrison addresses alleged 'friction' with Amanda Nunes ahead of potential super fight: "I was there, like a little punching bag"

Kayla Harrison recently gave her take on a potential matchup with Amanda Nunes, revealing if there was any animosity between them. Harrison also opened up about her training sessions with Nunes in the past, while expressing her admiration for the Brazilian.

Harrison dethroned Julianna Pena at UFC 316 last weekend with a tight kimura lock in the second round, becoming the new undisputed women's bantamweight champion. She then called out Nunes, who was in the audience, forcing the former two-division champion to enter the octagon and engage in a face-off with the reigning champion.

During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Harrison revealed that she does not harbor animosity towards Amanda, saying:

''She's [Amanda] been saying that she wants to face the winner and I wanted to make that a certainty, so I asked her to come into the cage. Again, no hard feelings, no bad blood, no ill will, I don't have anything to say bad about Amanda.''

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Harrison further discussed their training sessions at ATT (American Top Team):

''We didn't train a ton. Amanda's very talented. She's got a lot of God-given gifts. I wasn't her coach, I don't know why we didn't train together. I made myself readily available. Anytime she needed anything, I was there, like a little punching bag, training dummy, and eager to help, and also learn and grow from her. I think that that was Amanda's choice."

Check out Kayla Harrison's comments below:

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Demetrious Johnson offers his thoughts on the potential Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes fight

Reports about Amanda Nunes coming out of retirement to challenge reigning champion Kayla Harrison for the women's bantamweight title prompted reactions from many, including Demetrious Johnson.

In a recent YouTube video, Johnson claimed that Nunes would be a difficult opponent for Harrison. He highlighted 'The Lioness's' impressive octagon resume, saying:

''If I was Kayla Harrison, I would retire from the sport. Don't fight Amanda Nunes...Yes, Kayla Harrison is a world champion, but when you look at the roster of what Amanda Nunes fought and what Kayla Harrison fought, there's no f*cking comparison. There's not one comparison at all. You had Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, Cat Zingano, (Germaine De Randamie), Valentina Shevchenko. Just the talent pool Amanda Nunes has fought in mixed martial arts, blows everything that Kayla Harrison has done in her entire career, just the talent pool.''

Check out Demetrious Johnson's comments below (0:45):

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena