AMANDA NUNES has publicly announced her decision about a second retirement from mixed martial arts.

The greatest female fighter to ever do it returns to the cage this weekend in the co-main event of 334 in New York following a THREE-AND-A-HALF-YEAR layoff .

Amanda Nunes holds up two championship belts after winning her UFC bout.
Amanda Nunes announced her retirement from mixed martial arts over three years ago Source: REUTERS
Kayla Harrison faces off with former champion Amanda Nunes inside the Octagon.
‘The Lioness’ returns to the cage this weekend to take on former team-mate Kayla Harrison Source: Getty

Former two-division champion called time on her career due to the physical wear and tear on her body and her desire to focus more on being a mother.

But she reversed her retirement last June after her former American Top Team team-mate Kayla Harrison won the women’s bantamweight title.

The pair, 38 and 36, respectively, will collide this weekend in what many believe is the biggest fight in the history of women’s .

Many fight fans have predicted a DOUBLE RETIREMENT regardless of the result of the fight.

And just days before her cage comeback, fan favourite Nunes has revealed that she’s already made up her mind about potentially hanging ’em up after the MSG melee.

During an appearance on the ‘s ‘ Deep Waters’ podcast , ‘The Lioness’ said: “You’ve got to defend the belt.

“You’ve got to defend the belt for sure. And then we’re going to see.”

Despite being team-mates and previously fighting in different promotions, a showdown between Nunes and Harrison has been inevitable.

Amanda Nunes kneels on the canvas in the Octagon, resting her head on her championship belts after announcing her retirement.
Speculation is rife that Amanda Nunes could retire again regardless of the result of this weekend’s fight Source: GETTY
Amanda Nunes punches Irene Aldana during their UFC bantamweight title fight.
Nunes insists she won’t be hanging up her gloves again Source: GETTY

Nunes enjoyed an incredibly cordial relationship with the former Professional Fighters League champ for several years.

But things changed from her perspective when the two-time Olympic champion started publicly entertaining a match-up with her.

“I’m the champion in that gym, I brought the belt to that gym,” Nunes said. “Two, not only one.

“So when she started to talk about me, I feel like everybody has to come together and say, ‘Listen, Kayla.

“‘I feel like you came, you want to do this, but we have a champion.

“‘You come, you do this, maybe when Amanda retires, you can go and try to get the belt or all those things.’

“But when she started always talking about me, everybody brings it up, it triggered her to really say, ‘Yeah, I want to fight her.’

“Fight me? Yeah, I do it anytime, I do this for a living, so this is not a problem.

“The problem is we share the same mat, the same coach. This is not cool.”