Amanda Nunes has recalled the early sparring sessions with Kayla Harrison at American Top Team, revealing that her technical precision dominated those training encounters.
Speaking on the Paramount UFC Crew ahead of their UFC 324 title fight on January 24, Nunes discussed her striking philosophy and how it played out against the two-time Olympic gold medalist.
"I'm very precise with my punches, my kicks. I know the right time and everything. So yeah, probably was a bad day for her or I don't know," Nunes said when asked about their gym sessions.
Nunes credited her mother for instilling the striking fundamentals that have made her one of the most dangerous finishers in UFC history.
My mother was a big thing in my whole life and then she's like taught me so many things and she was in my uncle's corner when my uncle used to fight. So she like taught me a bunch of things. She these days like tell me some strategy, some things and it's pretty cool," Nunes explained.
Despite the apparent dominance in training, Nunes acknowledged Harrison as a legitimate threat and predicted she would eventually reach the UFC.
I knew right away when she started calling me out and then talk about I knew because it's not a lot of people out there, you know, she's an athlete, she's a good fighter, you know, and it's not a lot of people that can keep it up with her. I knew she would make her way to the UFC," Nunes said.
The bantamweight champion Harrison will defend her title against the returning Nunes in the co-main event of UFC 324.