Kayla Harrison has been forced to withdraw from her bantamweight title defense against Amanda Nunes at UFC 324.
Harrison (19-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) was scheduled to face Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC) in the co-main event of the first UFC card of 2026, set for Saturday, January 24, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The news broke Wednesday that the reigning 135-pound champion suffered a neck injury, with some outlets (including The Eagle Tribune) reporting that she underwent surgery Tuesday to repair herniated discs in her neck.
The bout would have marked Nunes’ first UFC appearance since her victory over Irene Aldana at UFC 289 two and a half years ago. That night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, “The Lioness” set a new promotional record with her 11th win in a UFC women’s title fight and announced her retirement while holding championships in both the bantamweight and featherweight divisions.
During Nunes’ absence, Harrison transitioned to the UFC in the spring of 2024 after winning the PFL’s global tournament twice at 155 pounds. The former Olympic gold medalist in judo made an immediate impact in the Octagon, dominating and submitting former champion Holly Holm at UFC 300 in April before earning a decision victory over Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 later that year.
Harrison went on to submit Julianna Peña at UFC 316 last June, capturing the UFC bantamweight title and adding another major accolade to her résumé. She then faced off with Nunes inside the Octagon immediately following the fight.
It remains unclear whether a replacement opponent will be named for Nunes at UFC 324. However, given that the former champion stated this week that Harrison’s challenge was the primary motivation behind her decision to come out of retirement, it appears unlikely she would accept a short-notice matchup against a different opponent.
