The greatest female MMA fighter is officially back in the testing pool. After defending her women’s bantamweight title against Irene Aldana at UFC 289 in 2023, Amanda Nunes laid down her gloves in Vancouver, vacated both the bantamweight and featherweight titles at Rogers Arena, and announced her retirement. That night also marked the last time a women’s fight headlined a UFC pay-per-view.

Since then, no female athlete has returned to the main event spotlight. But last year, Dana White sparked hope during his appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast, subtly teasing Amanda Nunes’ potential comeback. That possibility began to gain traction earlier this year at UFC 316, when ‘The Lioness’ made a surprise appearance during the championship bout between Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison. And now, the latest developments seem to be pushing things further in that very direction.

Amanda Nunes enters USADA testing pool ahead of potential Kayla Harrison showdown

At UFC 316, Kayla Harrison submitted then-champion Julianna Peña with a kimura. Moments later, Amanda Nunes stepped into the Octagon and locked eyes with Harrison in a tense stare-down — signaling her intentions loud and clear. ‘The Lioness’ is coming back, ready to leave retirement behind and reclaim the women’s bantamweight title she once dominated. Entering the testing pool is a mandatory step for any fighter aiming to return to the Octagon.

The UFC is currently working with Drug Free Sport International to make sure that the sport stays drug-free and open. This guideline says that fighters must sign up for the testing pool at least six months before they can participate. This means that they can be randomly tested for d–gs. Kayla Harrison didn’t hold back at the UFC 318 ceremonial weigh-ins.

She openly declared her intent to “whoop Amanda’s a-s,” and even joked about waiving the six-month testing requirement “for a small fee.” Now, in a major development, Nunes has officially taken the first step toward her comeback. As reported by MMA Uncensored on Instagram, “Amanda Nunes is back in the UFC’s anti-doping program. She has 6 months of testing before she can fight.”

The official website of the UFC says that Amanda Nunes was tested for d–gs during the last seven days. The specific dates are still unknown because the process is unpredictable. Her fight date is still undetermined, but one thing is for sure: it won’t happen in the next six months.

What made Amanda Nunes end her retirement?

After her 17th career finish, ‘The Lioness’ retired on her terms — defending her bantamweight title, vacating the featherweight belt, and choosing family life with Nina Nunes and their children. But the road to that storybook ending wasn’t without its twists. At UFC 269, Nunes suffered a stunning upset loss to Julianna Peña, ending her dominant 12-fight win streak. Though she reclaimed her throne in the rematch, Peña hasn’t stopped campaigning for a trilogy bout.

And for Amanda Nunes, that lingering rivalry still feels unfinished. With Kayla Harrison now wearing UFC gold, a new name stands in her path, adding fuel to her comeback mission. Still, the bigger battle might be internal. After retiring, Nunes found herself drifting — unanchored by structure and overwhelmed by emotions she didn’t expect.

Speaking candidly in April, ‘The Lioness’ revealed just how hard retirement hit her: “I literally thought I’d be able to maybe do something else or maybe chill at home, enjoy, travel, all these things but after a year, everything started getting so bad. I started having anxiety. I started like not wanting to be here…“I needed to get back in,..needed to do something… needed training but I started training, eat clean, everything, but for what?..don’t have a goal.”

Now that the Amanda Nunes’s gearing up for a comeback, the big question remains: is it the right move? Could this return end up tarnishing her legacy — much like Henry Cejudo’s short-lived comeback, which never quite recaptured his former magic? Drop your opinion below.