Kayla Harrison defeats Amanda Nunes to retain UFC bantamweight title
Kayla Harrison retained the UFC bantamweight title with a fourth-round rear-naked choke over Amanda Nunes in the UFC 334 main event at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday. The 36-year-old American, a two-time Olympic judo champion, stopped Nunes’s comeback after a three-year absence and kept the Brazilian from reclaiming the belt. Nunes, 38, a former two-weight champion at bantamweight and featherweight who stepped away in June 2023, looked sharp early with crisp striking and stuffed some takedowns, but rust showed as Harrison’s grappling took over. Nunes spent much of the latter part of the first two rounds on the bottom in a scarf-hold and could not escape. Harrison then used timed trips, tosses and tight ground control, chased Nunes to the mat in the fourth, took her back and forced the tap. Harrison (20-1) said she was still in shock after January surgery on herniated disks in her neck, called the night surreal and an honour, and told the crowd she loved New York City; she was unsure what would come next. Nunes (23-6) removed her gloves and skipped a post-fight interview.
On the same card, France’s Ciryl Gane retained the heavyweight title in his first defence, beating American Josh Hokit by unanimous decision, 48-47 on all three cards, after a bruising five-round fight. Gane (15-2) rose quickly from an early takedown, landed jabs, uppercuts and an overhand right, though Hokit (10-1) closed the first with a late slam. Hokit pressed in the second with heavy rights and fence clinches, then scored a scramble takedown in the third with elbows and foot stamps before flashing a middle finger at the bell. As his punches faded in the fourth, Gane answered with body kicks, knees and short uppercuts; in the fifth he stuffed takedowns, cut Hokit above the left eye and finished with jabs, body shots and combinations. Hokit said resilience builds character.
Continue in the app — vote & join in ➔