Kayla Harrison Withdraws From UFC 324 Following Neck Surgery Against Amanda Nunes
UFC women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison has been forced out of her scheduled title defense against Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 on January 24 after undergoing surgery to repair herniated discs in her neck. The withdrawal marks a significant blow to what was billed as one of the biggest fights in women’s MMA history.
Kayla Harrison Injured Ahead of UFC 324
Harrison flew to New York last weekend to consult with UFC doctors, who recommended the procedure. She underwent surgery on Tuesday to address the injury, which will require at least six months of rehabilitation and training before she can return to competition. The procedure involved repairing multiple herniated discs, though specific details about the extent of the damage have not been publicly disclosed.
The 35-year-old champion had been riding high since capturing the bantamweight title at UFC 316 on June 7, 2025, where she submitted Julianna Peña via kimura at 4:55 of the second round. The two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo had maintained a perfect 3-0 record in the UFC since signing with the promotion in January 2024, including victories over former champion Holly Holm, Ketlen Vieira, and Peña.
The matchup with Nunes carried considerable anticipation and personal history. Both fighters had previously trained together at American Top Team in Florida before Nunes left the gym in 2021 following her loss to Peña. Nunes later confirmed that Harrison’s presence at the gym influenced her decision to leave, stating it would have created problems for gym owner Dan Lambert if both future opponents continued training under the same roof.
Nunes, widely regarded as the greatest women’s MMA fighter of all time, announced her retirement following a unanimous decision victory over Irene Aldana at UFC 289 in June 2023. The 35-year-old Brazilian came out of retirement specifically to face Harrison after the Olympic champion won the UFC title. At 23-5 in her career, Nunes is a former two-division champion who held both the bantamweight and featherweight titles during a dominant 12-fight winning streak.
UFC 324 was set to serve as the debut event under the promotion’s new seven-year, $7.7 billion broadcasting agreement with Paramount+, marking the first numbered UFC event not available on traditional pay-per-view in the United States since UFC 267 in 2021. The card is headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
According to reports, the fight between Harrison and Nunes will be rescheduled for a later date in 2026, though no specific timeline has been announced. It remains unclear whether the UFC will book Nunes in an interim title fight or if the promotion will wait for Harrison to recover before rescheduling the matchup.
