LAS VEGAS – Kayla Harrison was in attendance to watch her former friend and training partner Amanda Nunes get inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last week, and the recently-crowned women’s bantamweight champion had no qualms about giving the consensus GOAT of women’s MMA her due.
“This is her night,” Harrison told MMA Junkie and other reporters Thursday when asked about Nunes on the red carpet. “I think it’s very well deserved. She’s the GOAT. She deserves all of her roses and all of her flowers – and then we’ll see.”
Those cautionary words at the end there? That’s Harrison looking ahead to her presumed first title defense against Nunes, which could happen before the year is over. Harrison became the UFC’s 135-pound champion last month when she submitted Julianna Peña at UFC 316.
While the moment was the realization of career-long goal, even while she was dominating her way to two title in the PFL, Harrison isn’t resting on her laurels knowing what’s at stake legacy-wise when she fights Nunes.
“From the first day I started MMA, this was the dream,” Harrison said. “And so, once it happened, I was like, ‘Oh, we’re done? We did it?’ But we’re not done yet.”
As she looks ahead to what could be the biggest fight in women’s MMA history, Harrison, who turns 35 on Tuesday, still took a moment to reflect on the journey to the top of the mountain – and there’s nothing she would change about it.
“I think the body of work. It’s not necessarily one moment, but it’s all of the moments collectively, and it’s how I did it,” Harrison said. “I didn’t change who I am. I stayed true to myself. I’m proud of the woman I look at in the mirror. I think sometimes it’s easy for champions to get lost a little bit in that, and so I’m proud of who I am.”
