Amanda Nunes Shrugs Off UFC 324 Slot Before Kayla Harrison Fight Fell Through

Amanda Nunes said kayla harrison’s removal from UFC 324 did not change her focus on getting her belt back. The former champion said the card position did not matter to her, whether the fight sat in the main event, the co-main event or opened the night.

Nunes Keeps the same target

“If UFC put it in the main event, it would be great,” Nunes said. “If it’s the co-main event, if it’s the first fight of the night, I want my belt back. It don’t bother me at all.” She was scheduled to return after initially retiring in 2023, and the matchup with Harrison had been set for the co-main event before it fell apart.

“The first fight of the night or the last one, I don’t care. I just want my belt back,” Nunes said. She also added, “I want to just step in the cage for the fight,” and, “This is what I like to do, what I’m born to do.”

Harrison Exit Changes UFC 324

Harrison was removed from the fight after undergoing neck surgery, and the women’s bantamweight title fight is expected to be rescheduled. No date has been revealed for the new booking, which leaves the comeback on hold while the card’s top billing shifts elsewhere.

UFC 324’s interim lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett got top billing instead. That moved Nunes and Harrison’s title bout out of the spotlight it was set to carry, even though Nunes had said, “I’m a champion” and “I’m going to go for the belt.”

UFC 289 And 2023 Return

Nunes last fought professionally in June 2023 at UFC 289, where she defended the 135-pound title against Irene Aldana. She retired after that bout in 2023, then lined up this comeback against Harrison with unfinished business still hanging over the matchup.

Nunes and Harrison are former training partners, and they have shared mutual respect and interest in sharing the Octagon. For now, the fight is the piece that moved first, and the belt chase has to wait for a new date.