Harrison submits Nunes in Round 4 to retain UFC women's bantamweight title

Kayla Harrison came out on top in her long-awaited superfight with Amanda Nunes.

Harrison submitted Nunes with a rear-naked choke at the 1:29 mark of the fourth round to retain the women's bantamweight championship in the UFC 334 co-main event Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Harrison caught a kick from Nunes, dragged her to the mat, and immediately locked in the submission to secure the win.

Harrison stepped into the Octagon for the first time in 17 months and defended the 135-pound title for the first time. She captured the belt with a second-round submission of Julianna Pena at UFC 316 in June 2025.

Harrison and Nunes were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 324 in January, but Harrison withdrew after suffering a neck injury, leading to the lengthy layoff.

Nunes, meanwhile, returned to the cage after retiring from mixed martial arts three-and-a-half years ago as the reigning bantamweight champion.

Harrison's ground game was, unsurprisingly, the difference-maker in the fight. She completed three of nine takedowns but made all of them count, amassing over five minutes of control time. Harrison trapped Nunes on the ground late in the first round and again in the second, battering her face with elbows and punches.

Nunes' strategy in the fight was puzzling. Despite a supposed advantage in the stand-up department and a disadvantage on the mat, she attempted to take Harrison down several times. Nunes did score two takedowns but eventually wound up on the bottom both times.

The 38-year-old Brazilian suffered her first loss since December 2021 when she lost the title to Julianna Pena. Nunes went on to beat Pena in a rematch in July 2022, then she beat Irene Aldana in June 2023 before announcing her retirement.

Nunes, also a former featherweight champion, is widely considered the greatest fighter in women's MMA history. She was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2025.