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Joselyne Edwards reportedly named backup fighter for Harrison-Nunes title bout at UFC 334

The No. 2-ranked bantamweight would step in if Kayla Harrison or Amanda Nunes cannot compete on Nov. 14, multiple outlets report, as Harrison makes her first title defense since beating Julianna Pena.

Editorial deskPublished
4 sources
Exterior view of Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan, New York, with pedestrians crossing the street in front of its entrance.
Madison Square Garden, photographed in 2019, hosts UFC 334 on Nov. 14. File image; does not depict Edwards, Harrison or Nunes. Display crop and resize applied. Display crop and resize applied.Ajay Suresh · CC BY 2.0

Joselyne Edwards has reportedly been designated the official backup fighter for Kayla Harrison's bantamweight title defense against Amanda Nunes at UFC 334, according to Sherdog, which credits MMA insider Guilherme Cruz's sourcing alongside reporter Damon Martin. Cageside Press independently reported the same assignment, also crediting MMA Fighting's reporting. Neither the UFC nor Edwards has confirmed the role publicly.

Why a backup matters here

Harrison and Nunes were first scheduled to meet at UFC 324 in January, but the bout was postponed after Harrison needed neck surgery. She has not fought since beating Julianna Pena for the title. The rescheduled bout is now the co-main event of UFC 334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York, where Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit headline for the heavyweight title.

Backup fighters train and make weight alongside a main card so a promotion can replace a fighter on short notice if a late injury forces a title bout off the card, as already happened once this year to the Harrison-Nunes pairing. The UFC has not said why it designated a backup for this rebooking.

Edwards's case

Edwards (18-6) is ranked No. 2 in the UFC's official women's bantamweight rankings, one spot ahead of No. 3 Ailin Perez, who enters on a seven-fight win streak that includes a prior win over Edwards. Edwards has won five of her last six fights, four by stoppage, most recently a unanimous decision over Norma Dumont in April.

The source file

Reporting & references

Follow the original reporting and records behind this article.

  1. SherdogJoselyne Edwards reportedly named backup for Harrison-Nunes at UFC 334
  2. Cageside PressUFC 334 Title Fight Gets Unexpected Back-Up Fighter
  3. UFCUFC Rankings
  4. UFCUFC 334: Gane vs Hokit event page

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