UFC fans raise concerns over Kayla Harrison’s drained appearance ahead of Amanda Nunes fight at UFC 334

This weekend at UFC 334, we will witness arguably the greatest fight in women’s MMA history as the reigning UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison is set to defend her title against former two-division champion Amanda Nunes, who is making a comeback from retirement.

The doubts about whether Harrison and Nunes would make the championship weight limit of 135 have been settled: both fighters have made weight, and the fight is now officially on. 

However, Fans notice a stark contrast between the American and the former UFC champion's appearances after UFC 334 weigh-ins. 

Kayla Harrison’s appearance sparks fan reactions as Amanda Nunes looks fresh at weigh-ins

The UFC on Paramount+ account shared the weigh-ins results video on their Instagram; the footage quickly sparked reactions from the MMA community, with many pointing out that Harrison looks exhausted while Nunes seems relatively fresh after making weight. 

One fan predicts a TKO victory for Nunes, commenting, “Kayla looks rough. Nunes by TKO.”

Another one feels that Harrison won't be able to make the bantamweight weight limit in future bouts, writing, “Kayla can't keep making this cut.”

A third fan reacted, adding, “Dude Nunes doesn't even look drained.”

One MMA enthusiast wrote, “Kayla looking drained... can't wait for this fight.”

Another fan highlighted the significance of the matchup, writing, “This fight is the main reason I will watch tonight.”

One fan believes Harrison would grow fatigued as the fight progresses, and Nunes would take advantage of it. He wrote, “G(K)ayla will be exhausted when the fight goes past rd 3. Nunes by outgassing the pfl bum.” 

Check out more fan reactions below: 

Despite the reaction, Harrison remains the favorite in the betting odds entering the fight. One big reason is that Nunes has not fought since June 2023, when she defended her title against Irene Aldana and retired from the UFC. Now that she is making a comeback, it will be interesting to see whether she can deliver a great performance as she did in the UFC before.

Harrison remains extremely confident that she will get her hand raised on Saturday night and then give the Brazilian an immediate rematch, but in the upper division.

Kayla Harrison plans to prove her championship status against Amanda Nunes

At the pre-fight press conference for UFC 334, Harrison was asked whether she already felt like a champion or believed she still needed to defeat Nunes to establish herself as the division’s best.

Harrison asserted that she intends to prove her status inside the octagon at UFC 334 and plans to rematch Nunes immediately, but at 145 pounds.

"I feel like I am gonna prove that I am the champion on Saturday night, and then I'm gonna give her an automatic rematch at 145 so that I can snatch that other belt," Harrison said. 

Check out Kayla Harrison’s comments below: 

The UFC women’s 145-pound division was shut down after Nunes retired from the UFC back in 2023. Now that she is back, it will be interesting to see whether the UFC reopens the division. Harrison, who has difficulty cutting down to 135 pounds, would have the chance to go after the 145-pound strap if it does.