On April 5th, Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke and “The Queen of Mean” Miriam Nakamoto faced off in a bantamweight bout at Invicta FC 5 in Kansas City, Missouri. The result was later overturned to a No Contest due to an illegal knee and the fight’s outcome remains a topic of debate to this day.

Nakamoto took exception to what she felt were disrespectful statements from Duke following the fight, but she kept quiet about the issue until this week. In response, Duke spoke with MMARising.com on Thursday and expressed an interest in facing Nakamoto for a second time in the future.

Much of the brief bout between Duke (2-0-0, 1 NC) and Nakamoto (2-0-0, 1 NC) was contested in the clinch against the cage. Just past the two-minute mark of round one, Nakamoto landed a vicious knee that dropped Duke to her knees. The first strike badly dazed Duke, but referee John McCarthy did not immediately intervene to stop the fight and Nakamoto landed another knee – an illegal strike to a downed opponent, according to the Unified Rules – that left Duke unconscious on the ground.

Nakamoto was initially awarded a stoppage win and a Knockout of the Night bonus, but Duke’s camp appealed the result of the fight and the outcome was changed to a No Contest by the Missouri Office of Athletics. During Duke’s campaign to get the result overturned, she stated that she was still in the fight and had been driving forward for a takedown prior to being struck by the illegal knee.

That comment, as well as others, did not sit well with Nakamoto and she had harsh words for Duke when discussing her MMA career with MMARising.com this week. Duke insists that she meant no disrespect towards Nakamoto and wants to clear the air once and for all regarding the circumstances that preceded and followed the controversial fight.

“I asked to fight Miriam because I had so much respect for her,” Duke explained to MMARising.com on Thursday. “I’m a young, up and coming fighter and I have confidence and I wanted to test myself against one of the best in the world. That should flatter her. I know her striking is exceptional, [so] why wouldn’t I want to see where I stand next to her?

“But I feel like I didn’t get a fair chance at that,” she adds. “It wasn’t looking good for me, but before I could find out what I was made of, she threw an illegal strike. So…I just want another fair shot. I respect her immensely and I’m sorry that she is so sour over the situation. I really want a rematch. If I really am as weak as she says then she will make her point easily.”

A second fight could be the only way to settle the outstanding issues between Duke and Nakamoto, but a rematch may hinge on the outcome of The Ultimate Fighter 18, which recently completed filming and premieres on September 4th. Duke’s name has been attached to the reality show competition as a rumoured participant, but the official cast list will not be announced until next month.

(Photo Credit: Esther Lin, AllElbows.com / InvictaFC.com)