Kayla Harrison shocked returning great Amanda Nunes by submitting the former double champion to retain her bantamweight title at UFC 334 in New York.
Nunes, 38, was fighting for the first time since she brought her glittering career to a close in 2023, after dominating at bantamweight and featherweight for years.
Enticed by the challenge of fighting Harrison, the Brazilian came out of retirement for the bout but could not topple her friend and former training partner.
Just 10 months after neck and spinal surgery, 36-year-old American Harrison ended the contest in the fourth round at Madison Square Garden with a rear-naked choke.
Afterwards, Harrison reflected on the challenges she's overcome during her career.
As a youngster, Harrison was sexually abused by her judo coach, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty.
Harrison went on to become a two-time Olympic gold medallist in judo before moving into mixed martial arts where she became a two-time PFL lightweight world champion and then won UFC bantamweight gold in just her third fight in the organisation.
"I was sexually abused at a young age, statistically I'm not supposed to be here," said Harrison.
"If you'd told me at six years old this would be my life and at 16, I wouldn't have believed you.
