In the co-main event of UFC 324, legendary women’s fighter Amanda Nunes will come out of retirement to reclaim the belt she never lost, but will a loss affect her legacy?
Amanda Nunes Walked Away from Sport On Top as Double Champion
Making the walk for what was believed to be the final time to the Octagon back in 2023 at UFC 289, Amanda Nunes had already built up arguably the most decorated career in all of mixed martial arts. Reigning over both the women’s bantamweight and featherweight divisions at the same time, the Brazilian boasted a combined seven title defenses across both her titles. These accolades firmly cemented her status as the greatest female fighter of all time in many people’s eyes.
Stepping into the cage, “The Lioness” did battle with reputed 135-lb contender Irene Aldana in what was her first championship retention after winning her strap back from Julianna Peña, who had famously choked her out at UFC 269. Amanda Nunes then proceeded to batter Peña in their subsequent rematch, sweeping her on the scorecards to regain her place at the head of the pack once more.
Amanda Nunes Establishes One-Way Traffic in Apparent Final Fight
Not skipping a beat in her seemingly last bout ever, Amanda Nunes dismantled Aldana from start to finish in their meeting, with the incumbent bloodying her challenger’s face. Unable to get much offense off, the Mexican lost a very one-sided unanimous decision, handedly losing to the perennial bantamweight queen. Laying down both her belts in the center of the Octagon soon after her win, Nunes announced her retirement from the sport, leaving behind a rock-solid legacy as a mythical figure in all of combat sports.
Surprisingly, however, rumblings of a return from Nunes would persist over the next two years. That return was all but confirmed after her fellow American Top Team goer Kayla Harrison captured the crown at UFC 316 this last summer.
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Harrison Etched Name in History After Winning UFC Championship Last Year
Following a run in the PFL as one of their biggest homegrown stars, Harrison made her way to the UFC on the largest card the promotion had seen in quite some time, UFC 300. There, the Judo extraordinaire easily tapped out former bantamweight champion Holly Holm, capping off a thrilling debut to much fanfare. She then followed this up by besting South American phenom Ketlen Vieira six months later at UFC 307, earning herself a coveted title shot.
In just her third scrap with the organization, Harrison was already contending for a UFC championship. Taking on then belt-holder Peña, who had secured the throne after Amanda Nunes’ departure, at UFC 316, the two-time Olympic gold medalist logged another highlight reel performance, bludgeoning “The Venezuelan Vixen” on the feet and on the ground. Setting up a masterful kimura with just five seconds left in the second round, Harrison had forced her adversary to submit, attaining the bantamweight strap, and becoming one of the few fighters to ever win championships in multiple major promotions.
Before the sweat could dry from her brow, Harrison immediately called out to Amanda Nunes, who was in the audience at the time of the event, beckoning her into the cage, where the two women made their intentions of locking horns with each other abundantly clear. The bout would be made official later that year for the promotion’s first show of 2026, UFC 324.
Is Amanda Nunes Risking Her Legacy by Fighting Again?
At the time of her retirement, Amanda Nunes was, and still is to many, the best women’s competitor period, having ruled over two separate weight classes for many years, and looking utterly dominant doing so. Though she did show some level of weakness in her setback to Peña, the Brazilian decimated her rival in their runback to become a two-time bantamweight champion, adding even more to her studded history.
Although her upcoming confrontation with Harrison is easily one of the most anticipated women’s contests in UFC history, Amanda Nunes may be competing not just for her previous belt, but also to keep her legacy intact. For several former champions who walked off into the sunset, only to return at a later date, their comebacks yielded mixed results.
Such was the case with Henry Cejudo, who held both the flyweight and bantamweight crowns. Retiring in 2020 after defending his 135-lb gold, “Triple C” bafflingly made his way back to the company in 2023, losing to then divisional kingpin Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288. He then fell short in his next three bouts in the Octagon before hanging his gloves up again last December at UFC 323.
While no one can take away what Cejudo accomplished in mixed martial arts, his ill-fated return to the UFC spelt a disastrous string of defeats that left fans wondering what would have happened if Cejudo never stopped fighting, or returned much earlier, rather than taking three years off. Though his feats remain etched in stone, it was evident that the pound-for-pound great was not at the top of the weight category anymore.
For Nunes, a victory over Harrison is essential, not just for the bantamweight title, but to keep hold of her distinction as the apex women’s fighter the sport has ever seen. That is because Harrison, who has won two Olympic gold medals, two PFL championships and one UFC strap, is very close to usurping her for that noble status. Should the incumbent trounce the incoming Nunes, then she may just hold a much stronger claim to being recognized as the greatest female mixed martial artist in history. In two weeks, the world will witness if “The Lioness” can keep her place at the top of the mountain, or see the ascension of a new all-time legend.
