Harrison Pursues Second Belt After Nunes Win

Ranked bantamweight Melissa Croden believes Kayla Harrison will target a second UFC title at featherweight if she captures the 135-pound belt from Amanda Nunes at UFC 334 in November.

Speaking to MMA Canada ahead of her own UFC Edmonton bout against Chelsea Chandler, the Canadian contender said conversations at her gym centered on what follows the re-booked Harrison-Nunes clash. Should Harrison win, Croden expects the former PFL champion to lobby for reopening the shuttered 145-pound division and pursue double-champ status. A Nunes victory, she predicted, ends with another retirement for the Brazilian legend.

Croden framed the matchup as a toss-up complicated by extended absences for both athletes. Harrison is returning from neck surgery that required repair of a fractured vertebra, while Nunes has not competed since her last Canadian appearance. "It's 50-50, right?" Croden said, per MMA Canada. The contender called Nunes the greatest women's fighter in history but acknowledged Harrison presents unique problems given her size and grappling pedigree.

The UFC has ramped up bantamweight signings after years of roster neglect, according to Croden. She revealed that the promotion rejected her for Contender Series two years ago specifically because they were not taking new bantamweights, a sharp reversal from current roster-building efforts. "Now suddenly they need bantamweights," she noted.

Harrison and Nunes meet for bantamweight gold at UFC 334 in November, with championship futures and potential retirement on the line.