Being one of the most dangerous strikers in women’s mixed martial arts history should count for something. But Amanda Nunes appeared to abandon that advantage against Kayla Harrison at UFC 334. Eventually, the former UFC women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion’s highly anticipated return to the Octagon ended up not going according to plan.
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Nunes suffered a fourth-round rear-naked choke submission against Harrison, allowing the defending champion to retain her title. A clip of the submission shared by UFC on X showed Harrison catching Nunes’ body kick before capitalizing on her opponent’s loss of balance. As Nunes tried to pull her leg free, she fell forward to the canvas, allowing Harrison to immediately pounce on her back and lock in a tight rear-naked choke, which forced Nunes to tap out, suffering only the second submission loss of her career.
While Harrison deserves credit for capitalizing on her opponent’s mistakes, Amanda Nunes‘ tactical approach to the fight has become a major talking point. Rather than keeping the fight standing and making the most of her striking advantage, she repeatedly engaged Harrison on the ground, a decision that has drawn heavy backlash from fans and fellow fighters.
Despite a clear edge on the feet, Nunes kept engaging Harrison in the clinch and on the mat through the first three rounds, playing directly into the strengths of one of the most decorated judokas. She did score a takedown in Round 3, but she burned energy in prolonged grappling exchanges and kept getting drawn into ground battles that left her visibly exhausted heading into Round 4.
And at 1:29 of Round 4,Harrison found her opening, secured the rear-naked choke, and forced the tap. UFC veteran Matt Brown described Nunes’ approach as the worst game plan ever, and the backlash from fans and fellow fighters has only grown since the fight.
MMA Community Questions Amanda Nunes’ Game Plan After Costly Grappling Exchanges Against Kayla Harrison
Following the bout, Amanda Nunes continued to face heavy backlash from fans and fellow MMA fighters over her puzzling tactical decision to repeatedly grapple with the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist. UFC veteran Matt Brown did not just consider Nunes’ approach the worst game plan ever; he believed the former champion effectively threw the fight away.
“Amanda gave that fight away. Worst. Gameplan. Ever,” he wrote.
A number of other MMA fans shared the same sentiment, criticizing Nunes for abandoning her striking advantage and repeatedly engaging Harrison in grappling exchanges.
“Lmao she just threw the match and blatantly gave her back up,” one fan said.
Another fan, equally frustrated with Nunes’ decision-making, added, “I hate Amanda Nunes so much, the worst game plan of all time.”
“All Nunes had to do was keep it on the feet, and she decided to wrestle,” another fan commented.
Beyond her game plan, some fans also criticized the fact that Nunes tapped out almost immediately after Harrison secured the choke. Some viewed her quick submission as a sign that she had given up rather than attempting to fight through the hold.
“Amanda deadass a quitter, doesn’t fight the hands, instant tap. SAME deal when Pena subbed her, just gives in. Both times, INSTANT TAP,” one fan said, referring to Nunes’ massive upset loss to Julianna Peña at UFC 269 in December 2021. Another fan appeared more interested in celebrating Harrison’s victory, writing, “Nunes tapped instantly, LETS GO KAYLA!!”
Some fans were even of the opinion that Nunes’ overall performance suggested she was not fully committed to winning the fight.
“The way Nunes fought tonight, it almost seems like she didn’t really want to win,” one fan said.
Overall, the bout marked Nunes’ return to the Octagon after a roughly three-year retirement. Meanwhile, Harrison overcame a serious neck injury and surgery to earn her first title defense. The victory also capped off a bitter, years-long feud between the former American Top Team teammates, who had traded barbs during fight week over why Nunes originally left their shared gym.