UFC 334 Backup Fighter Revealed for Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes Title Fight

A backup fighter will weigh-in ahead of UFC 334 as insurance in case anything derails the card’s scheduled co-main event between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes.

Scheduled to take place at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 14, UFC 334 features two title bouts at the top of the bill and will see Ciryl Gane kick off his reign as undisputed heavyweight champion when he meets Josh Hokit in the night’s main event.

In the co-main event, bantamweight titleholder Harrison will finally welcome UFC Hall of Famer Nunes back to the Octagon after the two women were originally booked to meet at UFC 324.

Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes Was Supposed to Take Place in January

Scheduled to help kick off the UFC’s new deal with Paramount on January 24, the highly-anticipated superfight between Harrison and Nunes unfortunately fell through when Harrison sustained a neck injury that required surgery and a lengthy recovery period.

Kayla Harrison (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Julianna Pena (not pictured) in a bantamweight title bout during UFC 316 at Prudential Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Nunes uninterested in ending her retirement for anything but an undisputed title fight, “The Lioness” was content to wait until Harrison finally healed up and will now return at Madison Square Garden well over three years after retiring in the cage at UFC 289.

Kayla Harrison (blue gloves) talks to Amanda Nunes after defeating Julianna Pena (not pictured) in a bantamweight title bout during UFC 316 at Prudential Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

First reported by MMA Fighting, top-ranked bantamweight contender Joselyne Edwards will be in New York City for UFC 334 and will weigh-in ahead of the event as the official backup fighter for Harrison vs. Nunes.

Joselyne Edwards on Cusp of UFC Title Shot After Five-Straight Wins

A member of the UFC roster since 2021, Edwards won her debut fight against Yana Wu but initially got off to an inauspicious 1-2 start with the promotion after coming up short in her next two outings.

Nora Cornolle (red gloves) fights Joselyne Edwards (blue gloves) in a womens bantamweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Toyota Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A three-fight win streak was unfortunately marred by back-to-back fights where Edwards weighed in over the bantamweight limit, and that winning run was followed by two more losses against Nora Cornolle and Ailin Perez.

Ailin Perez (red gloves) fights Joselyne Edwards (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Beginning with a win over Tamires Vidal (where she unfortunately also missed weight) to close out 2024, Edwards has put together an impressive five-fight win streak that saw her stop four-straight opponents before taking a unanimous decision over Norma Dumont her last time out in April.

Will Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes Live up to the Hype?

Edwards’ services hopefully won’t be needed at UFC 334, as the card’s co-main event between Harrison and Nunes is easily one of the most highly-anticipated MMA bouts of the entire year.

Harrison is now more than a year removed from her title-winning performance against Julianna Peña at UFC 316, which brought the Olympic gold medalist’s UFC record to 3-0 after she made the jump over from the PFL in 2024.

Amanda Nunes celebrates her victory by decision against Irene Aldana following UFC 289 at Rogers Arena. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Former two-division champion Nunes last competed at UFC 289, where she successfully defended the bantamweight belt in dominant fashion against Irene Aldana before laying down both her gloves and her UFC belts in the cage to signal her retirement from fighting.

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