Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes Officially Announced for Historic Title Match at UFC 324
UFC CEO Dana White officially unveiled the marquee matchups for UFC 324, scheduled for January 24, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Marking the promotion’s inaugural broadcast on Paramount+, the card features a historic Women’s bantamweight title fight.
Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes Booked for UFC 324
The night’s headliner delivers the blockbuster return of Amanda Nunes, who steps out of retirement to reclaim her bantamweight throne against two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison. Since her departure in 2023, the division has seen a revolving door of champions, but Harrison’s arrival and subsequent dominance have stabilized the weight class. Nunes, widely regarded as the greatest female combat sports athlete in history, seeks to extinguish the momentum of her former American Top Team stablemate.
For Harrison, this bout represents the final hurdle in her transition from judo icon to mixed martial arts legend. A victory over “The Lioness” would validate her career trajectory and cement her status as the new face of women’s MMA. Conversely, a successful comeback for Nunes would reinforce her legacy.
Kayla Harrison holds the distinction of being the first American judoka, male or female, to win an Olympic gold medal in her sport. Born July 2, 1990, in Middletown, Ohio, Harrison began training judo at age six after her mother, a black belt instructor, recognized her competitive aptitude early in her childhood. She progressed rapidly through international judo ranks, becoming a World Championship gold medalist in 2010 at the 78-kilogram weight division before capturing her first Olympic title at the 2012 London Games.
Nunes achieved historic status by becoming the first woman in UFC history to simultaneously hold championships in two different weight classes. She captured the featherweight title at UFC 224 on May 12, 2018, defeating Raquel Pennington by decision, establishing her multi-divisional champion status. Her record against ranked competition includes victories over former champions Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko twice, Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm, and Julianna Peña twice. Between 2014 and 2022, Nunes maintained the longest active win streak in UFC women’s history at 12 consecutive victories, accumulating 11 title fight victories.
Nunes stepped away from professional competition in June 2023 following her unanimous decision victory over Irene Aldana at UFC 289. She was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in June 2025, during which ceremony her Hall of Fame accomplishments were formally acknowledged. In April 2025, Nunes confirmed her intention to return to professional competition to challenge the winner of the Harrison versus Peña title match. She re-entered the UFC’s anti-doping program in July 2025, clearing the administrative pathway necessary for her return to active competition. At age 37, Nunes’ return to competitive fighting represents a championship comeback after stepping away during her professional peak, with the expressed goal of reclaiming her former bantamweight title.
UFC 324 features a championship bout with substantial implications for women’s mixed martial arts moving forward. The bout determines whether Kayla Harrison’s Olympic-backed grappling foundation and modern mixed martial arts development represents the current competitive standard, or whether Amanda Nunes‘ championship resume, striking volume, and fight experience retain decisive advantages against ascending challengers. The winner will define the direction of the women’s bantamweight division.
The UFC 324 event currently features Paddy Pimblett vs. Justin Gaethje, Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong, and Alexa Grasso vs. Rose Namajunas.
