Kayla Harrison enters UFC 334 facing more than just a fight; she is confronting a career-defining moment.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist is set to headline the card at Madison Square Garden against Amanda Nunes, but her ambitions extend well beyond the bantamweight limit. For Harrison, the grueling 135-pound cut has become a persistent obstacle, prompting her to look toward a future outside the division.
“I have the feeling that I’m going to take the title this Saturday night,” said Kayla Harrison, two-time Olympic gold medalist, during the pre-fight press conference.
“And then I’m going to give her an immediate rematch at 145 pounds so I can take the other belt, too,” she said.
Amanda Nunes, who ended her UFC career in 2023, left behind a legacy as a titleholder in both the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. Following her exit, the UFC effectively mothballed the women’s 145-pound featherweight class, leaving fighters like Harrison to compete in the leaner bantamweight ranks.
While the 135-pound division has anchored women’s competition for 14 years, the featherweight class struggled to cement itself as a permanent fixture. Industry observers now view the division as a lingering question mark, with its existence tied more to individual superfights than consistent organizational support.
Reports from MMA Mania suggest the UFC could justify reintroducing the 145-pound title through a specific roadmap: a rematch between Harrison and Nunes, followed by a showdown between Harrison and Cris Cyborg. Cyborg, the current PFL featherweight titleholder, has not competed in the UFC since UFC 240 in 2019.
Cyborg previously held the UFC featherweight crown until her 2018 defeat to Nunes at UFC 232. Whether the promotion intends to commit to the weight class beyond these isolated high-profile matchups remains unconfirmed. The organization has yet to issue a formal directive regarding the long-term status of the 145-pound division.
While Harrison has made her preference for the 145-pound limit clear, the UFC has not announced any plans to officially reinstate the division. As of now, no official confirmation has been provided regarding the status of the featherweight belt once the dust settles on Saturday’s event.
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