TLDR
- Kayla Harrison underwent neck surgery days before her scheduled UFC 324 fight against Amanda Nunes
- Dana White confirmed the UFC will wait for Harrison’s recovery instead of booking a replacement opponent
- White called the Harrison vs. Nunes fight “the greatest female fight ever” and dismissed interim title plans
- Harrison’s surgery went well and she is expected to make a full recovery in 2026
- Nunes was pulled from UFC 324 entirely despite other fighters volunteering to step in on short notice
Sources: Yardbarker | MMA Fighting | ESPN MMA
UFC President Dana White has confirmed the promotion will wait for Kayla Harrison to recover from neck surgery before rebooking her fight against Amanda Nunes later in 2026. The matchup was originally scheduled for UFC 324 on January 24 before Harrison’s injury forced the cancellation.
White dismissed speculation about booking an interim title fight or finding a replacement opponent for Nunes. “This fight is the greatest female fight ever,” White told TMZ. “You can’t just throw somebody else in there.”
Surgery Derails Historic Matchup
Harrison underwent neck surgery just days before she was set to face Nunes in what many consider the most anticipated women’s MMA fight in history. The bout was scheduled as the co-main event of UFC 324.
Nunes was pulled from the card entirely after Harrison’s injury was revealed. Other ranked bantamweights, including Norma Dumont, volunteered to step in on short notice, but the UFC declined.
The timing proved particularly challenging for Nunes, who was coming out of retirement for the fight. Her most recent bout took place in 2023, meaning she had already been away from competition for over two years.
White emphasized the magnitude of the Harrison-Nunes matchup as the reason for waiting. “You wait until she’s ready and you do the fight,” he said.
Dana White provides Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes update – https://t.co/0OJzaptMsB | UFC and MMA News, Results, Rumors, and Videos#ufc #mma https://t.co/eXldiwRMR9
— Positive4sure (@positive4sure) January 21, 2026
Full Recovery Expected This Year
According to White, Harrison’s surgery went well and she is expected to make a full recovery. While Harrison has not announced a specific timeline for her return, initial reports suggested she could be sidelined for approximately six months.
White expressed confidence that the fight will happen sometime in 2026. “She should make a full recovery and we should be able to do the fight this year,” he said.
The UFC president also praised Nunes for her cooperation during the situation. “Amanda’s so awesome to work with,” White said. “I’ve had a great relationship with her since day one. She’s very easy to work with.”
The fight pits two of the biggest names in women’s MMA against each other. Harrison is a two-time Olympic gold medalist who claimed the UFC women’s bantamweight title with a dominant submission finish over Julianna Pena.
Nunes is widely considered the greatest women’s fighter in MMA history. She held both the UFC bantamweight and featherweight titles during her career and defended them multiple times before retiring.
The matchup generated massive interest from fans who wanted to see which fighter would emerge as the greatest in women’s MMA. Harrison entered the UFC with an unbeaten record and continued her dominance after joining the promotion.
UFC 324 took place on January 24 as scheduled despite losing one of its biggest attractions. The card marked the return of UFC events after a six-week break.
White confirmed the UFC will not proceed with any other plans for Nunes until Harrison is cleared to fight again. The promotion remains committed to delivering the original matchup once Harrison completes her recovery.
