Ex-Invicta FC champion and UFC featherweight title contender Megan Anderson doesn’t see Kayla Harrison replicating Amanda Nunes’ lengthy reign within the UFC — not at bantamweight, a minimum of.
The UFC has mainly killed the 145-pound weight class following Nunes’ retirement, so Harrison, a two-time PFL light-weight champion, entered the promotion to compete at bantamweight. Harrison wanted a pair of wins over Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira to cement her place because the No. 1 contender for Julianna Peña, however Anderson wonders for the way lengthy will Harrison be capable to make that weight.
“The caveat for me with Kayla is—and I stated this when it was introduced that she was going to drop to 135—simply because you may make the load, doesn’t at all times imply you must,” Anderson informed MMA Preventing. “For girls, these huge weight cuts, hormonally, it’s not good. So even when she does go on the market, she dominates Julianna, or it’s a back-and-forth battle and she or he finally ends up changing into the champion, I don’t see her combating for an excessive amount of longer. It’s the toll on the physique, it’s the standard of life, you realize?
“I do know for a incontrovertible fact that that weight reduce is depressing for her. ‘Trigger I do know that 145 was depressing for me. It was arduous. the final 15 kilos was powerful, the final 5 kilos was the worst. I do know it’s depressing for her. She’s going to start out getting ready three months out for that weight reduce as a result of it’s so huge for her. That’s my largest situation with Kayla. However she’s regarded nice to this point, and I positively suppose it’s going to return all the way down to who desires it extra. As a result of Julianna Peña, regardless of no matter dangerous place she will get put in, regardless of what number of instances you hit her, regardless of what number of submission makes an attempt she will get in, she is going to defend it. She is going to discover a strategy to get out of it and she is going to attempt to flip the tide. That’s championship mentality, and that’s what has obtained her so far to this point.”
The UFC has but to verify that Harrison shall be subsequent for Peña and a date for the struggle, however Anderson likes the matchup stylistically. Peña went 1-1 in opposition to Nunes between 2021 and 2022 after which stayed out for 2 years, solely returning in October 2024 to defeat then-champion Raquel Pennington for the title.
“What I really like about it’s how I really feel so many individuals rely out Julianna Peña as a result of she may not say plenty of the correct issues that get folks on her aspect,” Anderson stated. “However if you take a look at her, she may not have the most effective placing, however she’s a canine. She Is in it for the 25 minutes. She is not going to go away. I imply, take a look at that second Amanda Nunes struggle. Amanda dropped her thrice simply in a single spherical, she didn’t go away. Julianna is so arduous to place away. Her jiu-jitsu was nice, and that’s clearly Kayla’s world is, the judo and the grappling after which that prime management.
“It might be they find yourself nullifying one another,” she continued. “I don’t see that. I see Kayla going out and having the ability to simply search for these takedowns. Nonetheless, you take a look at her final struggle, Ketlen Vieira had some success defending these takedowns. If you realize what you’re in search of, it might be a neater time for Peña to form of shut down that judo, but it surely’s going to return all the way down to will.”
Anderson stated she would decide Nunes to beat Harrison “each day” if the Brazilian returned to the game to face her former teammate, however doubts “The Lioness” ends her retirement to compete at 135 kilos. For now, Anderson expects Harrison to assert UFC gold in opposition to Peña.
“I’m most likely going to lean Kayla Harrison’s aspect simply because I feel she has the marginally higher placing,” Anderson stated. “I don’t suppose both of them are superb on the ft. Clearly, they’re each nonetheless growing, however I feel Kayla has the crisper of the 2 placing, and she or he blends that into her judo higher. I feel if she’s capable of form of make the most of that, get on prime, even when she’s not capable of end Peña, I feel if she’s capable of get on prime, do some floor and pound, I feel she will be able to get the win.”
