Harrison Chokes Out Nunes To Retain UFC Title

Kayla Harrison choked out Amanda Nunes in the fourth round to retain her UFC women's bantamweight title at UFC 334 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

Harrison survived early trouble to submit the returning MMA legend at 1:29 of Round 4, forcing the tap with a rear-naked choke. The finish came after Harrison caught a Nunes front kick, dragged her down, and immediately took the back, per MMA Fighting's live coverage.

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Nunes Landed Early Before Harrison Found Her Game

Nunes hurt Harrison multiple times in the opening frame with hard right hands and leg kicks, according to reports from MMA Fighting and MMA Mania. The former two-division champion landed the cleaner shots on the feet through the first three rounds, opening a cut on Harrison with counters in close. But Harrison's judo background eventually took over. She hit trademark throws in Rounds 1 and 2, controlling Nunes on the mat without landing serious damage. The third round turned when Harrison sliced Nunes open with elbows from top position after a scramble.

In Round 4, Nunes briefly connected with a left hand before Harrison snatched the leg kick and finished the sequence. MMA Fighting scored the fight 29-28 for Harrison heading into the final frame.

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Harrison improved to 20-1 and successfully defended her title for the first time since submitting Julianna Pena. Nunes, who came out of retirement after three years away, fell to 23-6. In her post-fight interview, Harrison reflected on her journey. "It feels surreal. Sometimes I can't believe my life," she said, per MMA Fighting. "I was sexually abused at a young age and statistically I'm not supposed to be here."

Harrison said she has decisions to make about her future and needs time to recover from injuries. UFC 334 aired live on Paramount Plus.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — UFC 334 live blog: Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes
• MMA Fighting — Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes full fight video highlights
• MMA Mania — Greatest of all time? Watch Kayla Harrison choke out Amanda Nunes to retain women’s title | UFC 334
• MMA Mania — Kayla Harrison dominates Amanda Nunes, submits ‘Lioness’ late in clash of legends | UFC 334
• BJPenn — Pros react after Kayla Harrison submits Amanda Nunes at UFC 334