Amanda Nunes trained at American Top Team in Florida for a significant portion of her career. However, she ultimately decided to leave the gym and establish her own private facility focused exclusively on her own training and preparation.
This change proved successful, as Nunes recovered from a defeat to dominate Julianna Peña for five rounds and regain the UFC bantamweight championship. She successfully defended it with a decisive victory over Irene Aldana before retiring. Now, preparing for a return to the sport with a potential fight against Harrison on the horizon, Nunes acknowledges that the anticipated conflict between them was the direct cause of her initial departure from American Top Team.
Confirming the reason, Nunes stated in a post-fight interview, “Yes, I did leave because of Kayla Harrison. Because when she arrived there, she began training with my coach, Mike Brown, Anderson [Franca], and others, and I foresaw that this fight would inevitably happen someday.”
She elaborated on the situation: “If I were still training there now, it would present a major issue. A huge problem for [American Top Team owner] Dan [Lambert]. One of us would have had to relocate. Having both of us training at the same facility would have been impossible.”
Similar situations have occurred at American Top Team previously, usually resulting in one fighter departing. Examples include the gym split when Tyron Woodley fought Robbie Lawler, and the intense rivalry between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal which also led to a separation.
According to Nunes, from the moment Harrison began mentioning her name as a potential opponent, she sensed that a fight was unavoidable and that they would need to put their team affiliation aside to resolve their rivalry. While she admits they trained under the same roof for some years, Nunes disputes the notion that they were particularly close or served as primary training partners for each other.
Nunes shared her perspective: “Honestly, we could feel the tension at the gym. As soon as she had a microphone, she would talk about me. From that point, we already started feeling things were different. We always respected each other within the gym walls, but we knew. The energy between us never connected. We would train here and there, but we were never primary training partners in the gym, let`s be honest. Sometimes we trained together when I was completely out of shape. Every time I returned to the gym, somehow we`d train, and I`d think, `Damn, I have to train with Kayla when I`m not in shape?` That wasn`t fair. Now, we`ll face each other when I`m fully in camp, 100 percent strong as ‘The Lioness,’ and she will truly understand who I am inside the cage.”
With her comeback announced and Harrison now a champion after defeating Julianna Pena at UFC 316, Nunes expressed her excitement for the upcoming challenge.
Nunes still needs to re-enter the UFC`s anti-doping program, which mandates six months of drug testing before a retired fighter is eligible to compete again. However, she is already anticipating the fight against Harrison to take place by late 2025.
Regarding her readiness, Nunes stated, “Honestly, I plan to get into full training camp. I`ve been training intermittently but staying in shape. Honestly, I might be ready to go in November or December.”
Looking ahead, Nunes stated this comeback is not solely for a fight against Harrison before retiring again.
Instead, she intends to regain her championship and then challenge the top contenders at 135 pounds, feeling refreshed, revitalized, and prepared to reclaim her dominant status.
Expressing her readiness and motivation, Nunes declared, “Look, my body feels good, I have no injuries. My mind is sharp. My spirit is ready for anything. I`m going to get the belt, defend it for as long as possible. I`m ready to do it all over again. You`ve never seen this before. I`m going to be the first one to do it again. I`m going to become a new champion, then defend the belt, and we`re going to keep going. Honestly, I`m really excited about this.”
