If her manager is to be believed, an even bigger fight could await Kayla Harrison after UFC 324.
Harrison is just over a month away from her first defense of the UFC bantamweight title, having reached the top of the division after just three fights inside the Octagon.
The two-time PFL title winner and two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo submitted Julianna Pena with ease before facing off with the previously retired Amanda Nunes at UFC 316 this past June.
Facing her former teammate proved to be too enticing for the ‘Lioness’ to resist, and the ex-double champion will return in early 2026. Nunes is set to challenge Harrison at UFC 324, with the pair co-headlining a card topped by Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje.
While that undisputed title fight was not deemed noteworthy enough to be the main event on January 24, Ali Abdelaziz believes more than just a headliner could be in store for Harrison later in the year.
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Ali Abdelaziz says Kayla Harrison vs Ronda Rousey could be the biggest UFC fight ever
The Nunes clash is not the only super-fight Harrison has her eyes on next year.
Harrison plans to target Valentina Shevchenko after ‘whooping’ Nunes, hoping to convince the flyweight champ to return to 135 pounds. Wins over both Nunes and ‘Bullet’ in 2026 would move the American closer to her goal of becoming the greatest women’s fighter of all time.
But Harrison also has a more ambitious hope for her second title defense. She would favor a huge fight with fellow ex-judoka and former teammate Ronda Rousey.
If that were to come to fruition, Abdelaziz believes it could surpass the records set by Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in 2018.
“Maybe we’ll have Amanda, she’ll smash Amanda, she’ll stop her under three rounds,” Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. “After that, maybe Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano fight and ultimate grudge match: Kayla Harrison-Ronda Rousey, for all the marbles.
“There’s a lot of beef. In the judo days, a lot of bad things happened between these two teams, and I think it’ll be one of the biggest – it’s not Amanda. I think Ronda Rousey-Kayla Harrison is one of the biggest fights in UFC history.
“It might do bigger numbers than Khabib and McGregor because there’s a lot of nasty s— in the closet,” he continued. “I don’t think they like each other. I don’t think they respect each other. Kayla can say whatever she wants, but I know deep down inside she doesn’t like Ronda.”
UFC 229 broke PPV records for the promotion, with Nurmagomedov and McGregor’s feud drawing in 2.4 million buys.
During her career, Rousey surpassed one million buys twice, with her losses to Nunes and Holly Holm both achieving 1.1 million.
Ronda Rousey looks to have her sights on a different fight
Rousey sparked talk of a comeback earlier this year after posting footage of her hitting the pads on social media. In the caption, the former UFC champ revealed she was rediscovering her love for martial arts.
While the focus had been on a potential MMA return, a recent report revealed a much different plan for ‘Rowdy’s’ combat sports comeback.
Rousey is in talks to box Katie Taylor, a two-time undisputed champion in the ring. That crossover super-fight has come as a surprise to many given how the American’s final UFC two fights unfolded. The former Strikeforce titleholder was knocked out by both Holm and Nunes in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Is it sensible for Ronda Rousey to return to combat sports, no matter how much money she will earn?