US Olympic hero Kayla Harrison chokes out Amanda Nunes in fourth round to retain UFC title

Kayla Harrison retained her UFC women’s bantamweight title by submitting Amanda Nunes in the fourth round at Madison Square Garden. The win ended Nunes’s comeback after three years away from competition and strengthened Harrison’s case as the division’s leading fighter.

Harrison, a two-time Olympic judo champion, took Nunes down repeatedly before securing a rear-naked choke. She had returned after spinal fusion surgery and said making the 135lb limit remained difficult. In the main event, Ciryl Gane retained the heavyweight title with a unanimous decision over Josh Hokit, winning 48-47 on all three judges’ scorecards.