Amanda Nunes says she left ATT because of Kayla Harrison | ESPN MMA

Amanda Nunes says she left ATT because of Kayla Harrison | ESPN MMA

welcome back Amanda thank you thank you i’m very excited to be here and what an exciting return how did it feel to be watching cage side and all of a sudden you’re right back in there right where you’re home facing off of opponent that you’re going to be fighting in a championship fight amazing exactly how I planned everything perfect so the greatest moment of my entire UFC career was when Amanda Nunees beat Renee Aldon and came over to the broadcast booth and kissed me on the forehead but I felt in that moment that maybe we hadn’t seen the last of you the sport is better with you in it when did you make the decision that you were going to come back and fight honestly when my baby started sleep through the night yeah good answer so I honestly like I want to spend time with with my my new baby she was you know what I mean so so new and I also was burned out you know I my last wake I literally like look to my friends and then say like I don’t want to do this anymore i want to take like step step away a little bit rest my mind my my soul my body and maybe later if you have a new girl or you know what I mean something that excit me I definitely come back so now we have Kayla Harrison and I’m back i’m definitely back so you knew that you’d be back when the baby started making it through the night when in your career did you really feel like you were going to fight Kayla Harrison that even if you guys weren’t in the same promotion that someday those paths were going to cross honestly like we we felt at the gym though you know what I mean soon she get a microphone she used to talk about me right you know and then from that moment we already started get like you know what I mean not different but like we always respect each other in the gym but we knew the energy we never was be able to connect we training he and that we never was a training partner in the gym let’s be honest we never was training p and I we used to training also I was completely out of the shape every time they come back the gym somehow like we training and they like damn like I’m going to train train with Kayla when I’m completely out of shape that’s not fair now we going to see each other when I’m full time in camp 100% strong and a lioness and she’s going to know exactly who I am inside the cage though I know you’ve talked about this in the past but let’s just put it right here yes or no and obviously you can expand on it But did you leave American Top Team because of Kayla Harrison and knowing that this fight was going to happen someday yes I did because she trained with my coach when she got there she started training with my coach Mike Brown and so everybody and I knew this fight would happen one day you know and if he if I was there now that would be a problem huge problem for Den you know what I mean to see I really would she would have to move you know what I mean yeah she both training at the same gym never would have happened you know so on the men’s side or the women’s side I don’t know if Brett agrees this feels like the biggest fight we can put together and it felt like maybe this fight had gone away and now it’s here and I’m like trying not to swear on live TV when might this fight actually happen in a perfect world for you honestly if I stay America Top Team that this fight might not happen you know what I mean so like I’m glad that I make the right decision you know open my own studio my own gym and now I do my own camp with my coach that I that I set up everything with and I feel like I don’t know honest I’m going to really get in camp now full time i was training here and there right and but like always in shape and honestly like November December I might going to be ready to go before the end of the year i know me and John are completely on it um before we’re going to ask you a few more questions and then we’ll let you let you get out of here so thank you so much for the time what did you think of the performance uh you said that you you knew that American Top Team would get her ready for it talk about her performance and also just the challenge that she presents when you guys square off later this year yeah I I have decision by decision she win but when I saw Juliana fall like that I said like this is going to be it soon you know just a matter of time before Kayla really find something and then she’s going to finish Juliana but I I also saw Juliana get her her ridden though i said like okay Kayla have to clinch her you know juliana in the in the in the cage you see very weak she don’t know how to defend very well to take Juliana down a double leg you have to take her down in the middle of the cage right you know because taking her down with double leg indication she’s she’s defended very well but like Kayla come from judo she know how to trip very well and and she did the right thing you know what we was expecting you know this fight like anything can happen and Kayla really did a job today so when you thought about a future fight with Kayla Harrison were you thinking about the weight class when you thought about it did you think it was going to happen at bantamweight or featherweight or was that not part of your thought process 135 you know like uh I’m you know this is my division right i went up just to fight Cyborg you know yeah and then somehow I hang out a little bit you know with the belt like you know what like let me like rest a little bit i don’t want to lose ce but like my thing always go up to fight Cyborg that always my deal you know and I I like that you know i like when the opponent can bring me like fear can bring me like adrenaline you know kayla is one of of those kind of fighting is this is how like I show up you know what I mean when you threat me with something and I know Kayla is that kind of fighter so this is what I like to feel i like being dangerous in threat this is how the lion is coming out from me well uh you know in addition to myself and John and all the fans loving you Amanda Dana White really loves you and I think that uh he is obviously going to be so welcoming and wants you to come back but we also do know that he doesn’t like he doesn’t like fighters to come back for just one fight especially if it’s for a belt because he doesn’t want you winning a belt and then dropping the belt so how are you viewing this comeback in terms of in terms of you’re fighting Kayla Harrison are you looking at it in terms of like I am back I am back to business as usual how are you how are you approaching this comeback look my body is good i don’t have any injury my brain is amazing so my soul is like ready ready for everything so I’m going to get the belt defend as long as possible honestly I’m ready to do all over again you guys never you guys never see that before i’m going to be the first one i’m going to do all over again i’m going to become a new new champion and defend the belt and we’re going to keep it going guys honestly I’m I’m pumped for this and my studio is like amazing and every time that I walk in my cage and everything everything is mine you know when I walk in I see everything is mine and I don’t have anything to threaten me in my own space i’m a monster i’m I’m ready you know like I’m ready to You’re going to get You’re going to draw John too far i’m like I’m pumped for this like honestly up all night now i don’t like it [Applause] [Music]

Amanda Nunes joins Brett Okamoto and Jon Anik on the UFC 316 Post Show to discuss Kayla Harrison’s win vs. Julianna Pena to become the new women’s bantamweight champ. Nunes says she left American Top Team due to Harrison and looks ahead to her comeback fight.

#UFC316 #Nunes #Harrison
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