Kayla Harrison couldn’t assist however giggle at Julianna Pena justifying her post-fight callout of former champion Amanda Nunes as a result of no one else is doing it.
Following her controversial win over Raquel Pennington to reclaim the ladies’s bantamweight title, Pena ignored Harrison because the No. 1 contender — who was proven backstage on a cut up display arrange by the UFC — and as a substitute requested for a trilogy in opposition to Nunes, who has been retired since 2023. On the post-fight press convention, Pena mentioned she felt calling out Nunes was mandatory as a result of “Kayla by no means talked about her title” and the identical goes for the remainder of the fighters within the division.
In fact, Harrison has talked about combating Nunes quite a few instances prior to now after they spent years coaching collectively at American High Group however that’s not in her speedy plans proper now.
“I’m not going to name Amanda out,” Harrison defined when talking to MMA Combating. “I’m positively not going to name Amanda out till I’ve the title.
“Then after I really feel like I’ve finished that, I’m going to construct the largest struggle in girls’s MMA historical past. However till then, I’m calling for that title.”
Harrison clearly needs to seize the title first and that street travels by means of a struggle in opposition to Pena proper now.
Past that, the two-time Olympic gold medalist additionally acknowledges that the largest impediment to a possible showdown with Nunes is that she’s nonetheless retired.
Whereas Nunes has seemingly hinted at a comeback since UFC 307 ended, she’s nonetheless not formally again and even when she declares plans to struggle once more, she would first need to undergo a minimum of six months of drug testing below the UFC’s anti-doping coverage.
In different phrases, Harrison doesn’t wish to waste her time on a possible matchup that’s simply not taking place proper now in opposition to an opponent who isn’t even on the lively roster.
“It simply makes me appear like an asshole ultimately,” Harrison mentioned. “When everybody’s like ‘do you wish to struggle [Amanda]?’ I’m like yeah and Amanda’s like ‘dude, go away me the f*ck [alone], like shut up! Depart me alone.’
“It’s not private for me. In fact, I wish to struggle Amanda. I’ve nice respect for every part she’s achieved on this sport and to me, there’s no increased honor than saying ‘I need what you have got.’ Some 20 12 months woman walked into [American Top Team] tomorrow and mentioned that to me ‘I’m going to beat your ass sometime,’ I’d be like sure, let’s go! That’s the sort of power I need.”
Nunes could also be the long run objective however Harrison solely needs to consider the UFC title and Pena for now.
A couple of bumps and bruises apart, Harrison doesn’t anticipate that it’s going to take her too lengthy to get well from her win over Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 however greater than something she hopes Pena doesn’t take one other lengthy absence after sitting out for over two years earlier than her showdown in opposition to Pennington.
“I’m not ready two years,” Harrison mentioned. “I additionally want a little bit little bit of time to get well from the burden reduce simply because I lose half of me each time. However I’m prepared every time. I’ll make myself prepared.”
