TLDR
- Kayla Harrison underwent emergency neck surgery that prevented potential paralysis, according to manager Ali Abdelaziz
- Harrison had dealt with neck issues for three years and couldn’t lift her arm before the procedure
- UFC flew Harrison to New York where doctors found a disc pushing on her spinal cord requiring immediate surgery
- The surgery forced Harrison to withdraw from her UFC 324 title defense against Amanda Nunes
- Harrison is expected to make a full recovery within six months with no new fight date announced
Sources: EssentiallySports | LowKickMMA | Bloody Elbow
UFC women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison underwent emergency neck surgery that may have saved her from paralysis, according to her manager Ali Abdelaziz. The procedure forced her to withdraw from her title defense against Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 this past weekend.
Abdelaziz revealed that Harrison had been dealing with neck problems for the past three years, dating back to her time in the Professional Fighters League. She experienced constant tingling and eventually lost the ability to lift her arm.
“Kayla has not been 100 percent for the last three years, since the PFL days,” Abdelaziz told multiple media outlets. “She’s always had tingling, but she just… she couldn’t lift her arm.”
Harrison tried multiple treatments before surgery, including injections and anti-inflammatory medications. None of the treatments provided relief for her worsening condition.
My UFC 324 update. #kaylaharrison #ufc324 pic.twitter.com/p5KDtOpGhk
— Kayla Harrison Official (@KaylaH) January 15, 2026
UFC Flew Harrison to New York for Urgent Medical Care
The UFC organization flew Harrison to New York to see specialist doctors about her condition. The doctors determined she needed immediate surgery to prevent serious consequences.
“The doctor said immediately she needs to get surgery, because if she doesn’t get surgery, this can paralyze her,” Abdelaziz explained. “The disc [was] pushing on the spinal cord.”
Abdelaziz said the pain disappeared immediately after Harrison completed the surgery. He compared the procedure to his own neck surgery, noting the significant improvement it made to his quality of life.
“I’m almost 50 years old. I had a neck surgery, my neck is much better than when I was 21,” he said. “The UFC sent [her to] the best doctors, best hospital, it’s like nothing happened.”
Harrison won the UFC women’s bantamweight title by submitting Julianna Peña at UFC 316 in June 2025. The scheduled fight with Nunes, who retired as champion in June 2023, had been highly anticipated by fans.
Manager Supports Champion’s Decision Despite Disappointment
Abdelaziz acknowledged that Harrison was devastated by the timing of her injury. She had invested months of training and preparation for the Nunes fight.
“Kayla was gutted. She was heartbroken,” Abdelaziz said. “I still support her decision, 100 percent because if you go in and lose, [and] you were not the best fighter, that’s OK. But if you go in and lose because you’re injured, [it] will haunt her for the rest of her life.”
The manager apologized to fans who were disappointed by the fight cancellation. He said Nunes isn’t going anywhere and the fight will happen when Harrison is healthy.
Sean O’Malley and Yadong Song moved up to take over the UFC 324 co-main event slot. The promotion has not announced a new date for the Harrison versus Nunes championship fight.
Harrison is 35 years old and holds a professional MMA record of 19-1. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo who transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2018.
Abdelaziz indicated Harrison is expected to make a full recovery within six months. He suggested a potential return at a rumored UFC White House card if she reaches 70-80 percent fitness by that time.
