Amanda Nunes is not bitter about the wait. Asked at UFC 334 media day on Wednesday about the ten-month delay to her superfight with Kayla Harrison, the former two-division champion said the postponement did her a favour.
“Giving me more time was better – definitely.”
"Giving me more time was better – definitely," Nunes told MMA Junkie.
The fight was supposed to happen in January. Harrison vs. Nunes was booked as the co-main event of UFC 324 on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas — the UFC's debut event on Paramount+, announced by Dana White on Thanksgiving Day. Then Harrison withdrew. She had been diagnosed with herniated discs in her neck and needed surgery, and the fight was pushed back ten months to UFC 334.
Nunes was disappointed at first. When word came that her return from retirement was on hold, she was, in MMA Junkie's words, "disappointed, naturally." But the delay moved the fight to New York, and that changed everything for her.
"Being here in New York is amazing. I want to fight all the places in America. Every time – Vegas, Vegas Vegas. I want to go somewhere else. When I found out it was supposed to be here, I was so happy," Nunes said.
"It's the circle of my life. I came to New York when I was 20 years old to chase this dream, and now I'm going to fight in New York. It's awesome. This is amazing."
The extra time also fits the bigger story of her return. Nunes retired in June 2023, moments after beating Irene Aldana at UFC 289, saying at the time that she was burned out. She vacated both of her belts. Three years later, the break still frames how she talks about her career.
"The time off was amazing for me," Nunes said. "The break was very important for me – like your job: Sometimes you need a break to reset your life, to reset everything and come back stronger. This is exactly what happened with me. I needed a break. I did the break at the right time … My mind, my body, my soul – I needed a reset."
"I'm back, and I'm going to stay till my body tells me, 'We're good now – rest for good,'" she said. "But definitely, it's not right now. I have a lot to do – nothing to prove, but I love to do this. Everything now is a 'plus' for me – history, memories."
Harrison feels the same way about the delay — for a different reason. Her recovery took far longer than she expected. She had never had spinal surgery before, and the pain was constant.
"I didn't know how I could not be in pain 24/7. The recovery was a lot longer than I anticipated. I had never had spinal neck surgery before," Harrison said at media day. "But I think that the long layoff was really good for me. I've healed, and I feel more confident. For a long time, I didn't, and now I feel more confident than I've ever felt."
Harrison also thanked Nunes for waiting. "I'm grateful. I'm just super grateful to be here. I'm super grateful to be healthy and healed. I'm grateful to Amanda for waiting and agreeing to this fight. I can't wait. Saturday night can't come fast enough."
The stakes on Saturday are the same ones that were set in January. Harrison (19-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) defends the women's bantamweight title she won by submitting Julianna Peña at UFC 316 in June 2025. It is her first defense, and she has not fought since. Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC) challenges for the belt she never lost in the cage, fighting for the first time since June 10, 2023 — 1,253 days by fight night. Harrison is a 2-1 favorite.
The fight is the co-main event of UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden, beneath Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit for the heavyweight title. Nunes, who left the sport as a double champion, still counts herself one. "I'm here today as a double champion still," she said.
So a fight first booked for January in Las Vegas now lands in November in New York — and both women say the wait made it better. Nunes wanted more time and a different city; Harrison needed the time to heal. "Giving me more time was better – definitely." On Saturday, the delay ends.
