Amanda Nunes is on the comeback trail — and her return could come faster than anyone expected, thanks to some eyebrow-raising comments from UFC president Dana White.
Nunes, the former bantamweight and featherweight queen, has officially re-entered the drug testing pool after retiring in 2023. That’s typically the first step in a six-month waiting period required before a fighter can return to competition under standard anti-doping rules. But when you’re Amanda “The Lioness” Nunes — and when Kayla Harrison is sitting on the throne — those rules might not apply so strictly.
Speaking to MMA Fighting’s José Youngs on the UFC Hall of Fame red carpet, Nunes teased the highly anticipated matchup with Harrison.
“I’m getting my belt back,” she said.
Her comeback has been rumored for months, but it wasn’t until Harrison captured UFC gold that Nunes seemed all-in. Now, with her drug test status updated, the showdown is officially on the radar.
There’s just one catch: the six-month clock doesn’t make her eligible until January 2026.
At the UFC 318 post-fight press conference, White dropped a bombshell — he’s open to giving Nunes a controversial exemption to bypass the mandatory waiting period. “Hm, I don’t know. We’ll definitely look into it. I don’t hate it,” White said with a shrug that could reshape the UFC’s anti-doping policies overnight.
Even Harrison, the reigning champ, signaled she’s ready to throw down sooner. She joked she’d be willing to pay a “small fee” to skip the bureaucracy and make the super-fight happen now. That fee could be a formality — especially with the UFC now overseeing its own drug testing protocols following the end of their partnership with USADA.
As awesome as it would be to see Nunes and Harrison fight, I don’t believe that Amanda should get any exemptions. She decided to retire, and if she wants to get her “belt back,” then she needs to put in the work and show that she’s on a fair playing field with everyone else.
