Dustin Poirier Reveals One Thing Kayla Harrison Needs to Beat Amanda Nunes

Amanda Nunes is widely regarded as the greatest women's MMA fighter ever, but even 'The Lioness' is not invincible, notably suffering a second-round submission loss to Julianna Pena, ending her 12-fight win streak. Now, Dustin Poirier has identified what Kayla Harrison can exploit in their upcoming clash. 

Takedowns Will Be Harrison's Key Against Amanda Nunes

The reigning UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Kayla Harrison will defend her title against the former division queen in a hotly anticipated UFC 334 bout at Madison Square Garden. 

With the Brazilian phenom leaving retirement after over three years, it's little surprise that Harrison is the betting favourite. Her American Top Team teammate Dustin Poirier has doubled down on that prediction, but remains extremely cautious about who controls the grappling game. 

“I think Kayla. For sure . And I’ve known Amanda a lot longer, but I think Kayla, it’s going to come down to the takedowns," Poirier told UFC on Paramount+. “Can Kayla use her judo and her wrestling to get Amanda down? If she can, I think she’s gonna have a lot of success.”

However, forcing Nunes on her back would be anything but straightforward for the American fighter. Even though Poirier's close training partner holds two Olympic golds in judo, the Lioness isn't far behind either.

Dustin Poirier Clears The Air on Amanda Nunes' Threat

Amanda Nunes may have been inactive for years, but she still holds the record for the most women's bantamweight takedowns, with 32. Clearly, the Lioness is no stranger to getting the fight to hit the canvas.

Yet, Pena effectively nullified the Brazilian's edge with a perfectly timed wrestling defense at UFC 269, ultimately taking her back and choking out the then-bantamweight champion. 'The Diamond' believes Harrison can repeat that fate if she can overcome the initial hurdles of Nunes' reach and power.

“You know, we’ve seen Amanda submitted before,” he added. “Kayla’s big, strong, good top position, knows how to grapple, but the length and power Amanda has, you can’t prepare for in the female division. You can’t get girls in the gym who can punch like that.”

The UFC lightweight star is not the only one backing the American fighter, however. Former strawweight fighter Diana Belbita sees a similar future unfold, but believes the action will largely depend on the version Nunes brings to the cage. Still, Harrison's recent neck surgery has definitely added some doubt to that narrative.