Croden Sees Harrison-Nunes Decided by Who Shows Up

A bantamweight title fight between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes is set for UFC 334, and a ranked contender sees unknowns on both sides. Melissa Croden, a Canadian at 135 pounds, laid out how she reads the matchup at UFC 334.

Two results, two very different futures

Croden said her gym has discussed the question of what happens if Harrison wins and what happens if Nunes does. Her own answer for a Harrison win is that Harrison would probably try to get the 145-pound featherweight division reopened, so she could hold titles in two weight classes at once.

If Nunes wins, Croden expects her to retire again. She added that she thinks everybody would assume that. Both claims are Croden's expectations. She did not say she had heard either plan from the fighters themselves.

A shallow division that is filling up

Croden believes the bantamweight ranks are in motion. In her view the UFC is building up fighters and signing many women, because it knows the division is shallow.

She tied that to her own path. Two years ago, her manager spoke to the UFC about a place on Contender Series, the promotion's showcase for newcomers. The answer, she said, was that there were no bantamweights that year, or that she was too old. Now the company suddenly needs bantamweights, and she joked that it could have had her two years earlier.

Croden spoke to MMA Canada ahead of her own UFC Edmonton fight against Chelsea Chandler.

What nobody can know yet

Croden described unknowns on both sides. On one side is Nunes, whom she called the pound-for-pound GOAT among women, and who is returning to competition. The author of the source notes that her last fight was in Canada as well. Croden's question was how Nunes would approach Harrison, whom she called a huge obstacle.

On the other side is Harrison and her neck. Croden said a neck injury "is no freaking joke," and that her own neck is sore all the time. She recalled Harrison's injury as something like fractured vertebrae that needed surgery, then asked how the rehab went and whether Harrison will be the same afterward.

She still thinks Harrison has a good head on her shoulders and is probably doing the right things to get back to that mode. She said nobody can know until the fight happens.

A pick she refuses to make

The bout is re-booked for November, as she believes. She has just started making betting picks for a sponsor, Cloud Bet, which wants her to pick weekend fights. She found out she is terrible at it, and told listeners not to follow her.

Her read of this fight is 50-50, and it could go either way. It will come down, she said, to who shows up that day. Both women work hard.

Source: BJPenn.com