“I’m going to be the best me, and we’re (Amanda Nunes) going to go in there…We’re going to break some records and make some history,” Kayla Harrison declared during the UFC 316 post-fight press conference. Now officially crowned the UFC women’s bantamweight champion, the Ohioan made her intentions clear—she wants Amanda Nunes next. Calling out the legendary ‘The Lioness’, Harrison promised fans a blockbuster matchup that could breathe new life into a division that has lost much of its former shine.

Once the crown jewel of women’s MMA, the bantamweight division hit its peak during the Ronda Rousey era. Before Jon Jones became a global superstar and before Conor McGregor’s explosive rise, it was ‘Rowday’ who pushed the UFC into new territory. She wasn’t just a champion—she was a phenomenon, headlining landmark events like UFC 157 against Liz Carmouche. Her star power brought massive results—UFC 170 pulled in 340,000 buys, while UFC 193 blew past expectations with a staggering 1.2 million.

Eventually, Amanda Nunes took over, dominating and gracing the division. But today, the landscape has shifted. Legends like Nunes, Rousey, Miesha Tate, Holly Holm, Sara McMann, and Cat Zingano have either retired or faded from the spotlight. With the former champions stepping aside, the women’s bantamweight division has struggled to hold on to the prestige it once commanded.

Now that Kayla Harrison has stepped into the spotlight, many are hopeful she’ll spark a revival in the division. However, ex-UFC referee Big John McCarthy painted a more sobering picture on the Weighing In podcast—he didn’t hold back,

“It’s weird, the way that, you know, the bantamweight division in the women’s [category] has gone. It was such an elite division for so long, and it’s not elite right now. There’s very few people just at the top, and you look down the list and most people go, ‘I haven’t even seen that person fight, I haven’t even heard of that person.'”

The current state of the UFC women’s division is falling short of anticipated standards. The current landscape reveals a distinct absence of marquee fighters, with only a handful appearing equipped to headline a pay-per-view event. The most recent occasion a women’s fight took center stage was at UFC 289 in Canada, where Amanda Nunes defended her championship against Irene Aldana, ultimately announcing her retirement in the octagon afterward. After a two-year hiatus, ‘The Lioness’ is preparing for her return to the octagon. The future for the women’s divisions, especially bantamweight, appears uncertain. The featherweight division has subtly slipped into the background. The critical inquiry at hand is whether Amanda Nunes’ comeback can spark a resurgence and potentially revitalize the previously thriving women’s featherweight division.

Could Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes’ return revive the UFC women’s featherweight division?

The UFC currently features women in three weight classes: strawweight, flyweight, and bantamweight. But for years, there was a fourth—the featherweight division. That changed in June 2023, when Amanda Nunes announced her retirement following her last title defense. In the aftermath, UFC President Dana White hinted that the division might not survive without her.

“The answer is probably yes,” White said at the post-fight press conference when asked if the featherweight division could be shut down. “I don’t make these decisions right after a fight. She told me when she walked over to the side of the cage that she was retiring. I don’t know, but it makes sense.”

The women’s featherweight division was originally created when Cris Cyborg joined the UFC. Germaine de Randamie became its inaugural champion in 2017, but Cyborg soon emerged as the division’s dominant force—until Amanda Nunes dethroned her. ‘The Lioness’ went on to defend both the bantamweight and featherweight titles, making history as the first woman to hold and defend belts in two divisions simultaneously.

Over time, though, the featherweight roster thinned. With few true contenders and many natural featherweights leaving the UFC, the division faded from relevance. Now, Amanda Nunes is back in the spotlight. At UFC 316, she confirmed her return to competition, stating, “Yes, definitely. We knew this was going to happen … I am more than happy to come back and fight.” While that comment hints at a bantamweight return, it also sparks speculation about a potential revival of the featherweight division—especially with powerful contenders like Kayla Harrison in the mix.

Stay tuned for further updates.