UFC women’s bantamweight champ Kayla Harrison had been booked in the co-main event of UFC 324 in what amounted to a super-fight with former champion Amanda Nunes.
Not only is Harrison off the card, however, she now has a long road back to fighting, after undergoing neck surgery this week in a sudden, unexpected twist of fate.
The news came as a major blow to the UFC’s debut on Paramount+. While Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett for an interim lightweight title headlines UFC 324 in Las Vegas, Harrison vs. Nunes was being looked at as two of the best female fighters in history going at it, and was a fight years in the making.
Kayla Harrison has now issued her first statement since news of her injury broke. Wearing a neck brace and still in hospital garb, the women’s bantamweight champion could not hold back tears as she provided an update on social media.
“I just wanted to give a bit of an update on my end. God this is a tough one. I had to have surgery on my neck yesterday here in New York City with the specialist Dr. Kim. Yeah. So in lieu of that, obviously we’re going to have to reschedule the fight, and I just want to say I’m sorry,” stated Harrison. “I’m sorry to Amanda, I was really looking forward to it, and I just want to thank everyone.”
Harrison went on to thank the UFC and her doctors, as well as her coaches, teammates, and family, in the wake of what is clearly devastating news. “This is day one of recovery, and the road back starts now.”
A two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo and two-time PFL women’s lightweight champion, Harrison joined the UFC in 2024 and captured the women’s bantamweight title last year. A plan for her to fight former teammate Amanda Nunes had been floated early on, back when Nunes still held gold, though Nunes losing the belt to Julianna Pena, winning it back, then retiring seemed to scuttle that.
However, following Harrison’s defeat of Pena (on her second stint as champ) last year, the super-fight was back in play, and later announced as the co-main event of UFC 324, with Nunes coming out of retirement for the opportunity.
