UFC legend warns Kayla Harrison against Amanda Nunes fight: ‘I would retire from the sport’

All signs now point to a UFC super fight between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes in the very near future. However, not everybody is on board with the matchup.

Harrison claimed the bantamweight title with a submission win over Julianna Peña in the co-main event of last Saturday’s UFC 316 card in Newark. Leading into the fight, Nunes announced plans to end her retirement and return to the Octagon. Now that Harrison has the belt, it’s just a question of when they fight.

Whenever it happens, it’s going to be massive. Harrison is not only the reigning champ, but a former Olympic gold medalist in judo, and a multiple-time PFL champ at lightweight. Nunes, on the other hand, previously held UFC titles at bantamweight and featherweight. She’s widely considered the best female fighter in MMA history.

While most fans are very excited for this veritable clash of titans, Demetrious Johnson is not. Johnson, who is himself one of the best fighters ever, just doesn’t see it being competitive. In fact, he believes Harrison should bail on the idea altogether.

Demetrious Johnson urges Harrison to rethink Nunes fight

“If I was Kayla Harrison, I would retire from the sport,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel (via MMA Junkie). “Don’t fight Amanda Nunes.

“Kayla Harrison is calling out Amanda Nunes. I think that’s a very, very bad idea,” Johnson added. “Yes, Kayla Harrison is a world champion, but when you look at the roster of what Amanda Nunes fought and what Kayla Harrison fought, there’s no f*cking comparison. There’s not one comparison at all. You had Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, Cat Zingano, (Germaine De Randamie), Valentina Shevchenko. Just the talent pool Amanda Nunes has fought in mixed martial arts, blows everything that Kayla Harrison has done in her entire career, just the talent pool.

“Amanda Nunes doesn’t need to come out of retirement. I think the only thing that’s enticing her to come out of retirement is probably how easy the fight might be. They trained together. … She’s got to get Amanda Nunes down. Amanda Nunes is not a very small girl. She’s very big. She’s very strong for her size. I think for Amanda Nunes if she comes back, she is putting her legacy on the line, but it’s not something that I’m jumping out of my seat to see. I’d rather see Amanda Nunes stay retired, and then maybe see Kayla Harrison fight one more time and then retire.”

Where do you stand on this much discussed Harrison vs. Nunes matchup?