Amanda Nunes names Cris Cyborg her toughest opponent ahead of Kayla Harrison fight

The returning Brazilian, who faces Kayla Harrison at UFC 334, insists there is no bad blood with her former training partner and says she is certain she will win.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Thu 12 Nov, 21:11 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Amanda Nunes has picked Cris Cyborg, rather than Kayla Harrison, as the toughest opponent of her career as she comes out of retirement to face Harrison at UFC 334.

Speaking at UFC 334 media day, Nunes said: “[Cris] Cyborg was [the toughest].” She pointed to Cyborg's size, describing her as roughly double Harrison, as well as her knockout power and the fact that, in Nunes's words, Cyborg had never lost before they met.

Nunes moved up to featherweight to challenge Cyborg for the UFC title and won in 51 seconds. The victory made her a two-division champion, and she went on to defend both belts before retiring.

She is fully confident of beating Harrison, reclaiming the bantamweight title she left behind when she retired and then defending it several times. Nunes said: “There’s no doubt in my mind. You guys know that. I’m going to do it. My belts both, I have space already on my wall for them. Anybody after that. Whatever the UFC wants to do.” Nunes and Harrison have trained together in the past and shared some of the same coaches, but the Brazilian rejected any suggestion that she holds a grudge against the two-time Olympian. She said the fight was about the challenge Harrison brings and what it will mean for women's MMA, adding that she did not hate her former teammate.

Nunes said: “Why is everything about hate? This is a fight. We want to prove who is the best girl in the cage that night. So it’s not hate at all.”

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Kayla Harrison