Kayla Harrison’s first title defense against returning Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 unfortunately fizzled out after Harrison suffered neck issues just days before the fight. The Ohio native was reportedly diagnosed with herniated discs pressing against her spinal cord and had to undergo surgery to avoid a potential paralysis scare, forcing their highly anticipated showdown to be postponed. However, after months of anticipation, a former UFC fighter with a notorious feud with Dana White just revealed when Harrison and Nunes might finally collide.

At the PFL Summer Series media day, Cris Cyborg claimed that she had heard the UFC is targeting Harrison vs. Nunes for September in Los Angeles, California. 

“I heard. I don’t know where I heard, but they say maybe they’re going to fight in September, Amanda and Kayla, in LA,” Cyborg said. “I’m not sure if I know right, but (I heard) some gossip. But I know Kayla did a surgery and she was recovering. I know I’m going to be waiting for this fight. I’m excited to see this fight.”  

For now, the promotion hasn’t announced the date for its next marquee event in September. But since their fight was canceled in January, that month makes perfect sense for Harrison and Nunes to finally collide. In fact, Amanda Nunes could take some credit for her comeback being delayed, as she rejected the idea of an interim championship fight while Harrison required medical attention.

Though the fight makes complete sense for the UFC bantamweight division right now, the leak coming from Cris Cyborg is definitely surprising because of her history with Dana White.

Back in the day, the Curitiba native was regarded as the UFC’s next big star when she defeated Tonya Evinger at UFC 214 to become the featherweight champion and later defended the belt against Holly Holm (UFC 219) and Yana Santos (UFC 222). However, after Cyborg lost to Nunes at UFC 232, White claimed that the 40-year-old didn’t want a rematch because “she’s at the point where she’s afraid to lose again,” which ultimately sparked a rift between them.

Cyborg, in response, brought up contractual disputes and sought to fight out her contract. After her fight with Felicia Spencer, she accused White of tarnishing her brand. The back-and-forth continued, with White accusing Cyborg of not wanting to fight Nunes in the first place and claiming her tenure had “been a nightmare the entire time.” An infamous edited video of their post-UFC 240 confrontation only drove the dagger through the relationship, leading Cyborg to apologize for posting it. But the line was already drawn.

In a 2019 interview with Laura Sanko, White revealed that he would no longer do business with her. Following that dispute, Cyborg signed with Bellator, and now she’s all set to compete in the final fight of her career against ex-UFC fighter Ketlen Vieira at UFC Tampa, defending her 145-pound belt.

Now, as Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes appears to be on course for September, another massive fight has also been verbally agreed upon for the very same month, which may push the UFC to up the ante.

Tom Aspinall agrees to face Ciryl Gane in the UFC title unification fight this September

At the UFC White House co-main event, Ciryl Gane proved that he’s still one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world. The Frenchman smothered Alex Pereira, earning a dominant second-round knockout victory. Though Bon Gamin’s win sparked controversy because of his illegal strikes, the fact remains that he’s now a two-time heavyweight interim champion. With that, his next step appears to be a highly anticipated rematch with reigning champion Tom Aspinall. However, both will hope to see eye to eye on the outcome, unlike what happened during their clash at UFC 321.

Their last fight ended on a sour note after Gane’s eye poke left Aspinall temporarily blinded, leading to a disqualification and widespread outrage from fans and media. Since then, the Atherton native has required multiple eye surgeries, and the recovery process has been anything but easy. However, when Aspinall heard Gane calling him out to settle their unfinished business in September in Paris, the British champion didn’t waste a second accepting the invitation.

“Paris in September, eh? I’ll do that,” Aspinall said in a video posted to his Instagram. “You’re up for it? I’ll do that. Let me know. I don’t mind. I’ll go to Paris. I’ll be there. Ciryl Gane in Paris. Let’s go. Let’s go. I’m back to training now, literally right now.”

Pushing for a rematch between the two giants might alter UFC’s usual plans with Paris-based events. The organization has held four Fight Nights (second-tier events) at the Accor Arena, but a heavyweight title showdown could yield a numbered event. Add the potential Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes clash to the lineup, and White could be persuaded to hold a marquee event.

With that, September can now feature two salivating fights. While both clashes are viewed as long overdue, the ultimate decision rests with Dana White and the UFC brass on how they plan to shape the month.