Kayla Harrison retained the UFC women's bantamweight title with a fourth-round rear-naked choke submission of Amanda Nunes at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 14, 2026.
Kayla Harrison defeated Amanda Nunes via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:29 of the fourth round to retain the UFC women's bantamweight championship at UFC 334 on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, entered the bout with a 19-1 record. Nunes, a former two-division UFC champion, was making her first appearance since retiring in 2023 and entered with a 23-5 record.
The two had previously trained together at American Top Team. Harrison had undergone neck surgery in January, which delayed the fight from its original scheduling. She said the weight cut to 135 pounds drains her more than most.
Nunes landed early strikes, including a hard right hand in the opening round. Harrison secured takedowns and worked from a crucifix position, landing unanswered punches. MMA Fighting scored the first round 10-9 for Nunes and the second 10-9 for Harrison, leaving the scorecards tied at 19-19. MMA Fighting scored the third round 10-9 for Harrison, giving her a 29-28 lead.
In the fourth round, Harrison caught a kick, took Nunes down, seized her back and sunk in a rear-naked choke. Nunes tapped out. The official time of the submission win was 1:29 of the fourth round.
Harrison improved to 20-1 with the win. She told UFC commentator Joe Rogan in the cage, "I am still in shock." She later said, "It feels surreal. Sometimes I can't believe my life. I was sexually abused at a young age and statistically I'm not supposed to be here."
Asked about her future, Harrison said, "I've got a lot of decisions to make when I get home. … We'll see." She also said she needed time to rest and recover from injuries and that she had a lot of decisions to make about her fighting future.
Nunes did not give a post-fight interview.
Stephen Thompson knocked out Charles Radtke with a spinning wheel kick on the preliminary card. Jim Miller was stopped by Terrance McKinney by TKO at the 1:53 mark of the first round. McKinney had missed weight by more than four pounds for their lightweight contest. Jared Gordon lost a close but unanimous decision against Melquizael Costa in another lightweight bout on the undercard.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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