Kayla Harrison is currently the only active champion from the US in UFC after submitting Julianna Peña this past June. Naturally, she has been adamant about representing the States on the UFC White House card planned for June next year. And with her intense face-off against Amanda Nunes right after her win at UFC 316, many wonder when the Brazilian would step back in the Octagon after over two years on the sidelines.

While the UFC has yet to reveal details about the fight, many feel the American southpaw may end up facing Nunes on the White House card. However, that’s far from reality, as Harrison envisions it unfolding before the White House card. While appearing on the Death Row MMA podcast with Jorge Masvidal, the 35-year-old revealed her plans to fight Ronda Rousey or Valentina Shevchenko on the White House lawn instead. 

Kayla Harrison has other plans for Amanda Nunes

Speaking to Jorge Masvidal, Harrison revealed, “There’s a fight on the horizon.” While she refused to share when or where it would take place since it hasn’t been finalized, she teased, “It’s a fight that we all want to see happen, and it’s gonna happen sooner rather than later.” Though she didn’t name Amanda Nunes directly, her comments made it quite clear who she was referring to, especially after what she said next.

When asked if the fight would take place on the White House card, Harrison quickly clarified, “[It’s] before that.” In her ideal scenario, Kayla Harrison hopes to face Nunes first and then compete again on the White House card. “For sure, I’m gonna be on the White House card. I’m the only American champion,” she declared confidently. That, of course, raises the question: if not Nunes on the White House card, then who does Harrison plan to face?

“I’m not done, I’m gonna whoop her a— real quick. And then in my perfect world, like either Valentina beats Weili and then we do like a… USA vs. Russia like [fight],” Harrison said. Valentina Shevchenko is set to defend her flyweight title against Zhang Weili at UFC 322. Should Shevchenko win, Harrison hopes the Kyrgyzstani would move up in weight to face her, much like what Weili is doing for this fight. 

And if that matchup doesn’t materialize, Harrison already has another dream opponent in mind, Ronda Rousey. “Everybody [has] been talking about how Ronda’s coming back. So that would be great,” Harrison added during the podcast. However, when reminded that Ronda hasn’t fought in nearly a decade, she shrugged it off. “Whoever’s next in line. I literally don’t care. I’ll fight anybody.”

The matchup with Amanda Nunes is significant because Kayla Harris was long-touted as the woman to beat ‘The Lionness’. The issue was that, at the time that Nunes was a champion in the UFC, Harrison fought for the PFL. Amanda Nunes retired in June 2023 after defending the title she won back from Julianna Pena by beating Irene Aldana. Kayla Harrison entered the UFC in April 2024, so that match-up never came to fruition.

However, now, there is some hope for the hardcore fans of MMA to see a legendary dream match-up featuring two of the best of female competitors on the planet. Kayla Harrison is ready. Is Amanda Nunes?

Amanda Nunes enters UFC anti-doping program

The UFC Hall of Famer has officially taken the first step toward a return to competition. According to a report from Damon Martin of MMA Fighting, Nunes has re-entered the UFC’s anti-doping program for the first time since her 2023 retirement. UFC’s rules suggest a retired fighter must undergo at least six months of drug testing before being cleared. 

Although it’s unclear when Nunes rejoined the testing pool, her submission of a sample removes a major hurdle to her return. When asked about granting Nunes an exemption during the UFC 318 post-fight press conference, Dana White said, “Hm, I don’t know. We’ll definitely look into it… I don’t hate it.” 

It appears Amanda Nunes won’t have to wait till June to make her massive comeback. But then, she would miss out on fighting on the biggest card in UFC’s history. Do you think Nunes can beat her former teammate? Who do you think Harrison should fight on the White House card?