TLDR
- Kayla Harrison withdrew from UFC 324 after undergoing surgery for herniated discs in her neck
- Her scheduled fight against Amanda Nunes has been postponed to a later date in 2026
- The bout was set as the UFC 324 co-main event on January 24 in Las Vegas
- Amanda Nunes left American Top Team gym after Harrison started calling her out while still training there
- Nunes came out of retirement specifically to fight Harrison after she joined the UFC and won the bantamweight title
Sources: MMA Fighting | MMA Fighting | MMA Fighting
UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison has been forced to withdraw from her scheduled fight against Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 after suffering a serious training injury. Harrison underwent surgery to repair herniated discs in her neck, according to The Eagle Tribune.
The champion flew to New York seeking treatment for the injury before the January 24 event in Las Vegas. Doctors determined surgery was necessary to fix the damage, forcing her out of what UFC President Dana White called the “greatest women’s fight of all time.”
The UFC plans to rebook the fight at a later date in 2026, though no specific timeline has been announced. The bout was scheduled to serve as the co-main event of UFC 324, with Justin Gaethje facing Paddy Pimblett for an interim lightweight title in the main event.
Gym Conflict Led to Nunes Departure
The fight carries extra tension because Harrison and Nunes were once training partners at American Top Team in Florida. The relationship soured when Harrison began calling out Nunes publicly while still training at the same gym.
🚨 Kayla Harrison is reportedly OUT of the fight against Amanda Nunes at #UFC324 with a neck injury
(via @EagleTrib) pic.twitter.com/y5il0Da94p
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 14, 2026
Nunes explained that the situation became uncomfortable when Harrison started targeting her for a potential fight. “If you’re calling me out, if you want to fight me, you’re not supposed to be here training with my coaches in the same mat, in the same gym,” Nunes said in an interview prior to UFC 324.
At the time, Harrison was competing at lightweight in the PFL, a weight class that doesn’t exist in the UFC. The conflict of interest wasn’t immediate, but Nunes said she knew Harrison would eventually make her way to the UFC.
Nunes retired in 2023 after dominating both the featherweight and bantamweight divisions. She left the sport to focus on her family and her second child.
Harrison’s UFC Success Sparked Nunes Comeback
After just one year away, Nunes admitted she was already thinking about returning to competition. When Harrison signed with the UFC, it confirmed her decision to come back.
“One year passed by and I was kind of looking at Nina around the house like ‘Nina, I cannot stay away,'” Nunes said. “The thoughts started being stronger and Kayla signed with the UFC. This is just meant to be.”
Harrison made an immediate impact in the UFC, defeating former champion Holly Holm in her debut. She then beat Ketlen Vieira before capturing the bantamweight title from Julianna Pena with a second-round finish.
Seeing Harrison with the belt she had vacated pushed Nunes to return. “Nobody’s going to do anything with my division. So I’ve got to go in there and make this great again,” Nunes said.
Nunes acknowledged that her former teammates and coaches at American Top Team are now in Harrison’s corner. “They are all against me. So I look at them as my opponents, too,” she said.
The postponement means both fighters will have to wait longer to settle their rivalry. Harrison holds a 19-1 professional MMA record, with her only loss coming to Larissa Pacheco in the PFL.
Nunes is widely considered the greatest female fighter in MMA history. The rescheduled fight will mark her return to competition after nearly three years away from the sport.
