Joe Rogan Raises Two Major Red Flags Ahead of Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes UFC 334 Clash

While Saturday’s UFC 334 main event at Madison Square Garden looks to sort out the mess in the heavyweight division, the co-main event features the return of the consensus women's MMA GOAT. Former bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes goes toe-to-toe against reigning champion Kayla Harrison, stepping back into the Octagon more than three years after outstriking Irene Aldana in Vancouver before retiring in June 2023.

With the pair having previously crossed paths at American Top Team before Nunes left in 2022, the teammates-to-rivals storyline boiled over when Harrison won the belt against Julianna Pena in 2025 and called the Brazilian out of retirement. 

After a neck injury forced a 10-month delay, the long-awaited showdown is finally here. However, Joe Rogan has raised two major concerns that could decide who walks out of New York with the belt.

Joe Rogan Flags Kayla Harrison's Neck Surgery and Amanda Nunes' Striking Edge

Heading into Fight Night, oddsmakers have listed reigning champion Kayla Harrison as the betting favorite (around -185), while the returning GOAT Amanda Nunes enters as the underdog (+150) due to her three-year layoff. While many expect Harrison's elite judo and grappling to overwhelm the 38-year-old Brazilian, longtime UFC color commentator Joe Rogan sees two major red flags for the champion.

First, he flagged Harrison's brutal weight cut. Speaking on his JRE MMA Show, he questioned whether she belongs in the bantamweight division at all. 

"She really shouldn't be fighting at 135 (pounds)," Rogan said. "She's so big… she has to kill herself to get to '35."

Rogan's second major red flag is Harrison's recent neck surgery, which delayed the fight earlier this year. He added, "And then the big neck surgery. She had a disc replaced in her neck. That's a big one."

On the other side, Nunes brings her own question marks after more than three years away. Rogan wondered if the long layoff will leave her rusty, or if an all-time great like Nunes can simply pick up right where she left off.

One thing that won't fade, however, is her striking power. Rogan believes Nunes holds a clear edge on the feet and referenced her 2018 knockout of Cris Cyborg as proof.

He added, "The thing is, in the standup, Amanda has such an advantage. You go to the Cyborg fight, when Amanda knocked out Cyborg, holy s---. If you knock out Cyborg like that, Cyborg was a f------ destroyer," Rogan said. "Some people just have weird power."

Whether Harrison can overcome the two major red flags Rogan pointed out remains to be seen, but the stakes go far beyond a single title defense. Nunes is the only woman to hold both the UFC bantamweight and featherweight titles at the same time, cementing her as arguably the greatest female fighter in MMA history.

Harrison, however, has a rare combat sports resume as a two-time Olympic judo gold medalist, former PFL champion and current UFC titleholder. Beating the "Lioness" at Madison Square Garden might not make Harrison the undisputed GOAT overnight, but a victory at UFC 334 would put her firmly on the path to claiming that crown.