Nunes reveals burnout drove 2023 retirement as she returns to chase Harrison's bantamweight title

Amanda Nunes has attributed her 2023 retirement to burnout accumulated across years of defending titles in two UFC weight classes simultaneously, and says a combination of renewed hunger and the challenge posed by Kayla Harrison persuaded her to come back. The former two-division champion will challenge Harrison for the bantamweight title at UFC 334.

“I literally was on the road without stopping for so long. Defend the belt, you know, one division, the other, and I never stopped. I kind of burned out a little bit,” Nunes told UFC News.

Nunes said the break she had sought eventually turned against her. Once the pressure of competition lifted, she found everyday life unfulfilling — and began to miss the sport that had defined her career.

“At one point in life, when I got the break that I needed, everything got boring. I got bored at home,” she said.

A personal motivation also factored into her decision to return. Nunes explained that her younger daughter had not yet had the chance to witness the world her older daughter had grown up watching.

“My younger one didn’t have the opportunity to see everything about my life. I feel like she deserved it too,” she said.

The specific opponent waiting on the other side of her comeback added further incentive. Harrison, the reigning bantamweight champion and a two-time Olympic gold medallist in judo, represents exactly the kind of test Nunes says she seeks out.

“Kayla is a very good opponent, tough opponent. It’s exactly how I like it. I like a challenge,” Nunes added.

Nunes also described the period away from the sport as necessary for her mental state: “I needed to reset. I needed a clear mind.”

The UFC 334 bantamweight title bout will pit one of the most decorated champions in the promotion’s history against a fighter widely regarded as one of the most dangerous athletes to enter the division in recent years.