Dana White: UFC 269 Upset Derailed Potentially ‘Huge’ Amanda Nunes-Kayla Harrison Fight

If Amanda Nunes had won as expected at UFC 269, it could have set the stage for a massive showdown with one of the sport’s top free agents.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist and Professional Fighters League champion Kayla Harrison was in attendance at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night when Nunes suffered a second-round submission loss to Julianna Pena in arguably the biggest upset of 2021. At the evening’s post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White addressed what might have been.

“These are those things, man,” White said. “For like a Kayla Harrison, the Amanda Nunes fight was huge. I mean, if they would have faced off, it would have been a massive, you know, mega-million-dollar fight.”

Harrison became a free agent after winning the PFL 155-pound title for a second time this past October. The judoka is 12-0 thus far in her professional career and has rarely been challenged inside the cage while amassing 10 finishes. Her next destination has not been determined but both Harrison and the Las Vegas-based promotion have been in discussion recently. Exactly how much progress has been made between the two parties remains to be seen.

“I said it last week that we were talking, and she said it this week that we were talking,” White admitted. “We’re talking.”

What is clear is that Nunes’ latest defeat removes some of the luster from what White believes could have been a blockbuster. Of course, there’s no guarantee that Nunes and Harrison would have agreed to the bout, since both fighters train at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla.

“Let me tell you what,” White said. “If Amanda Nunes had won tonight, the Kayla Harrison fight would be one of the biggest fights that you would have ever seen.”

Kayla Harrison is less then enthused after seeing Amanda Nunes fall at #UFC269 pic.twitter.com/aKDwwjw6cP

— Daniel Cunningham (@DC4213) December 12, 2021