Inside the tension, suspicion and history behind Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison

As Kayla Harrison prepares to face Amanda Nunes in the UFC 334 co-main event, much of the public focus centers around their history of previously training together at American Top Team and sharing coaches. However, coach Mike Brown stated in an interview with MMA Fighting that this narrative is blown out of proportion. Brown noted that while Harrison and Nunes crossed paths from time to time, they were never very close.

"It's a big gym," Brown told MMA Fighting. "There's a lot of training partners. They weren't training partners that often. Very seldom." Brown has served as Harrison's head coach since her very first day at the gym and previously worked with Nunes for a handful of fights, though he was never her official head coach. He downplayed any conflict of interest, describing the upcoming bout strictly as business where both athletes will make a significant amount of money.

According to Brown, neither fighter holds a secret tactical advantage despite the past gym association. Both athletes have extensive footage available, and their respective styles are well-known throughout the sport. "Amanda's a big power puncher and everyone knows that. Kayla is a world class grappler and a multiple world champion, a world champion in judo, so there's no secrets in what each fighter's going to want to do," Brown explained to MMA Fighting, emphasizing that the outcome will depend on execution on Saturday night.

Harrison has consistently spoken about cementing her legacy as the greatest combat sports athlete of all-time, boasting two Olympic gold medals in judo, multiple PFL championships, and a UFC championship with a near-perfect record featuring only one blemish against Larissa Pacheco in their third meeting. Brown acknowledged that Nunes holds undeniable career achievements, noting that Amanda has defeated every champion at 135 pounds except for Kayla. A victory over Nunes, given Amanda's stellar track record, would further elevate Harrison's status in the greatest of all-time conversation according to her coach.