Ladd On Harrison Beating Nunes At UFC 135

Kayla Harrison would defeat Amanda Nunes in a bantamweight title clash, according to a former opponent who faced the current UFC champion during her PFL run.

Aspen Ladd, who lost to Harrison in the PFL Smart Cage before transitioning to bare-knuckle boxing, told Bare Knuckle Bowker that Nunes' extended time away from competition has shifted the matchup in Harrison's favor. Ladd faces Bianca Daimoni at BKB 58 in Miami on August 29th.

Why Harrison Holds The Edge Over Nunes Now

"That one's a tough one only because if it was prime Amanda Nunes when she was hungry, she was champ. I think she would take it," Ladd said, per BJPenn.com. "But she's been out of it for a long time. She's made astronomical amounts of money. If she doesn't have that same fire, Kayla will handle her."

Ladd pointed to Nunes' vulnerability under sustained pressure, noting the two-division champion has been broken before when placed in difficult positions. The former UFC bantamweight added that Harrison's recent surgery recovery remains a factor, but current form favors the Olympic gold medalist over a fighter who stepped away at the peak of her earning power.

Cris Cyborg floated a potential fall booking between Harrison and Nunes during a late June interview on Bowks Talking Bouts. Ladd maintained her earlier assessment that no current UFC bantamweight can out-grapple Harrison, predicting even durable opponents like Ketlen Vieira would survive but not win.

Harrison returns from shoulder surgery with the UFC bantamweight title. A Nunes fight would offer the former PFL champion a chance at the consensus greatest women's fighter of all time.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Kayla Harrison “will handle” Amanda Nunes, per BKB 58 former foe of Harrison who quips Nunes “can be broken and she can lose”