Kayla Harrison submitted Amanda Nunes with a rear-naked choke at 1:29 of the fourth round to retain the women’s bantamweight title at UFC 334 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York, and UFC 334 Kayla Harrison Nunes ended with the champion catching a kick, taking Nunes down and locking in the choke within seconds.
Harrison improved to 20-1, and Nunes fell to 23-6 in her first fight in three years. UFC 334 Kayla Harrison Nunes was the co-main event of the card, and it was Harrison’s first title defense since she won the belt with a second-round submission of Julianna Pena at UFC 316 in June 2025.
UFC 334 Kayla Harrison Nunes turns in the fourth round
Nunes had the better of the standup fighting early, and UFC 334 Kayla Harrison Nunes looked like it could go the other way in the opening round. Nunes stunned Harrison with punches, but Harrison landed takedowns in each of the first two rounds and held a crucifix position on the canvas while she landed punches.
The third round belonged to Nunes for long stretches. The 38-year-old secured a takedown, reversed a Harrison throw attempt and hunted for a rear-naked choke of her own. Harrison ended the round on top, and she opened a cut above Nunes’ eye with punches from the top position.
In the fourth round, Nunes pressed forward and landed a right hand. Harrison caught a kick, dragged Nunes to the mat and took her back. The choke went in at once, and Nunes tapped out at 1:29 of the round. UFC 334 Kayla Harrison Nunes ended there, with Harrison’s first title defense complete.
UFC 334 Kayla Harrison Nunes after a long layoff
Harrison had not fought in 17 months before UFC 334 Kayla Harrison Nunes, and the layoff came after neck surgery. The two were first scheduled to fight at UFC 324 in January, but Harrison withdrew 11 days before the event with a neck injury. She returned to the octagon, made weight at 135 pounds on Friday and finished one of the best fighters in women’s MMA history.
Nunes ended a retirement of 1,253 days to take the fight. She had not fought since she retired as a two-division champion, and she came back to face the woman who now holds the bantamweight belt. Nunes weighed 135 pounds on Friday, the same as Harrison, and she showed little sign of ring rust in the early rounds.
Harrison is a two-time Olympic judo gold medalist, and her grappling decided UFC 334 Kayla Harrison Nunes. She took Nunes down in each of the first two rounds, and she finished the fight the same way, with a choke from the back. Nunes had hurt Harrison on the feet more than once, but she could not keep the fight standing when it mattered.
The first round turned when the fight hit the floor. Harrison secured a crucifix position and dropped ground strikes until the five-minute frame ended. The second round followed a similar pattern, with Harrison back in the crucifix position, dropping punches and looking for submissions while Nunes tried to work free.
The fight had been a long time coming. Harrison and Nunes were former teammates, and MMAWeekly called it perhaps the biggest women’s fight in the promotion’s history. Nunes retired as a two-division champion, and Harrison took the bantamweight belt with her win over Pena in June 2025.
What Harrison said after the win
After the fight, Harrison told Joe Rogan that she has big decisions to make about her future. She said she has injuries to heal after the fight, and she did not commit to a return date. The comments left her next move open, and she said she would have to heal up before she decides what comes next.
UFC 334 Kayla Harrison Nunes was the biggest women’s fight in the promotion’s recent history, and it played out in front of a full house at Madison Square Garden. Harrison kept the belt, and the win settled a fight that had been delayed by 10 months.