At UFC 316 on June 7, 2025, Kayla Harrison submitted Julianna Peña with a kimura at 4:55 of Round 2 to claim the UFC women’s bantamweight title. The dominant performance also earned Harrison a $50,000 ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus. But it was her post-fight move that truly shook the MMA world, setting up the stage for a blockbuster match.

Inside the Octagon, Kayla Harrison called out former two-division champion and UFC legend Amanda Nunes, who had retired in June 2023. To the surprise of fans, Nunes confirmed she would come out of retirement for a potential superfight. The two even squared off in the cage, instantly fueling anticipation. While the bout is not yet officially announced, speculation is running wild across social media. 

One particular rumor has already circulated, suggesting both a date and venue for the blockbuster clash. “Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes is officially being targeted for #UFC323 this December at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas,” Octagon Pulse reported on X. UFC 323 is rumored to be headlined by the reigning UFC lightweight champion, Ilia Topuria, who will defend his title against Justin Gaethje.

Other rumored fights on the card include Weili Zhang vs. Valentina Shevchenko, Alexandre Pantoja vs. Joshua Van, and Belal Muhammad vs. Ian Garry. Regardless, after the Harrison vs. Nunes rumors started circulating on X, it caught the attention of boxing’s three-division undisputed champion Claressa Shields, who shared her thoughts in two words, “Whoa!!!! Whoa!!!”

Shields herself had an MMA career, competing under the PFL from 2021 to 2024, finishing with a 2-1 record. She debuted with a TKO over Brittney Elkin, lost via split decision to Abigail Montes, and won against Kelsey DeSantis. Shields retired from MMA in May 2025 to focus on boxing, citing the sport’s physical toll and time demands. That said, Claressa Shields wasn’t the only one to react to the Harrison vs. Nunes rumor. 

All-time great wants the winner of Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes

Alongside Claressa Shields, an all-time great of women’s MMA has entered the conversation. Who? Chris Cyborg! The 40-year-old has fought in several promotions, including UFC, PFL, Bellator, Strikeforce, and Invicta. Impressively, she has held championship titles in all of those promotions. But most importantly, she has unfinished business with both women. 

She lost her UFC featherweight crown to Nunes in 2018, and never got the chance to avenge her loss in a rematch. Not to mention, she missed out on a clash with Harrison after PFL’s acquisition of Bellator. With the Harrison vs. Nunes fight rumored to be in UFC 323, Cyborg came up with an idea. “Gimme the winner,” Cyborg wrote back on X.

It appears Claressa Shields is impressed by the potential fight between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes. However, Chris Cyborg is aiming to make a comeback to the UFC to face the winner of the fight. Would you like to see that fight?