Kayla Harrison undergoes neck surgery and fight against Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 is postponed By Thiago Lemos
5 min read
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The historic clash between Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison, scheduled to be one of the main attractions of UFC 324 in Las Vegas, had to be officially postponed due to a serious injury to the American fighter. The current bantamweight champion underwent emergency surgery last Tuesday, January 13, at a hospital in the city of Nova York. The medical decision occurred after the detection of herniated discs in the neck region, which makes the athlete’s participation physically unfeasible for the scheduled date of January 24th.
The Ultimate organization is still evaluating how to proceed in relation to maintaining the Brazilian Amanda Nunes on the event card, which marks the league’s debut on the Paramount Plus platform. The “Lioness”‘s return to the octagons was eagerly awaited by the global mixed martial arts community, as she had announced her retirement in June 2023. The duel against her former training partner at American Top Team represented the chance to retake the category’s throne in a clash of generations.
💥 UFC is on PARAMOUNT+ 💥
— Paramount+ Brasil (@paramountplusbr)January 14, 2026
And so a new era begins! Todas fights only on my app. 💙
🗓️ UFC 324 – January 24th and UFC 325 – January 31st!pic.twitter.com/7ixHX5N1nW
Medical procedure and recovery time for the champion
Kayla Harrison sought out specialists in Imaging revealed the severity of the disc compressions, leading the neurological team to recommend immediate surgery to prevent permanent damage. The procedure was considered successful, but requires a rigorous rehabilitation protocol that eliminates any possibility of high-impact physical exertion in the coming weeks.
Sports medicine specialists indicate that the period of absence for injuries of this nature is usually prolonged to ensure the stability of the cervical spine. Estimativas Preliminaries indicate that the North American will need at least six months to receive medical authorization to return to competitive training. With this scenario, the expectation is that the confrontation against the Brazilian will only be rescheduled for the second half of 2026, possibly in June.
Expectations about Amanda Nunes remaining on the card
Amanda Nunes’s situation remains undefined, as the UFC has not yet made it official whether it will look for a replacement opponent to keep the Bahian in the opening event of the year. The Norma Dumont fighter from Minas Gerais, currently in third place in the bantamweight ranking, has already made a public statement, making herself available to face her compatriot on January 24th. Outra possibility floated behind the scenes involves the creation of an interim belt to save the co-main event position at T-Mobile Arena.
- Norma Dumont offers an immediate replacement to face the former champion.
- Cris Cyborg is also mentioned in speculation for a historic rematch.
- UFC is considering postponing the return of the “Leoa” completely to coincide with the return of Harrison.
- Event promotion now focuses on the duel between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett.
Context of the rivalry between former training partners
The clash between the two athletes carries a high emotional and technical weight due to the shared history at the American Top Team gym, at Flórida. Amanda Nunes decided to leave the team a few years ago precisely to avoid sharing coaches and mats with Kayla Harrison, anticipating a future confrontation. The Brazilian stated in recent statements that she felt the need to return to “rescue” her division, which is now led by the two-time Olympic judo champion.
Harrison’s trajectory in the UFC has been meteoric, racking up three consecutive wins since his signing in 2025 and winning the world title with dominant performances. On the other hand, Amanda Nunes boasts the status of the greatest fighter of all time, having beaten legendary names like Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg. The postponement frustrates the organization’s plans to hold what was being promoted as the biggest women’s fight in the history of the sport.
Other confirmed fights maintain UFC 324 weight
Despite the significant drop in the women’s sector, UFC 324 maintains a structure of fights considered to be of a high level by the organization’s standards in 2026. The main fight remains confirmed between the North American Justin Gaethje and the Englishman Paddy Pimblett, who will compete for the interim lightweight belt. The night also features the presence of other prominent Brazilians, ensuring the interest of the national public even with the possible absence of the country’s main female star.
The main card features strategic duels for the men’s bantamweight and featherweight divisions, with athletes looking to get closer to a title fight. The organization must issue an official statement on the situation of the women’s bantamweight category within the next 24 hours, defining whether Amanda Nunes will fight or wait for her rival to recover. Fãs who purchased tickets for the event in Las Vegas are awaiting the decision to confirm travel logistics and presence at the arena.
Impact on international broadcast programming
The withdrawal of Kayla Harrison changes the marketing strategy for the international debut of streaming broadcasts that begin this month. The Brazilian market, in particular, has one of the largest global audiences for MMA, and the presence of Amanda Nunes is one of the main pillars of commercial engagement. With the change, the focus of advertising pieces must be redirected to male athletes and the promises that make up the event’s preliminary card.
Harrison’s recovery will be closely monitored by the organization’s doctors, who usually accompany elite athletes in high-performance centers after complex surgeries. The champion’s health is a top priority, as a hasty return could put the continuity of her professional martial arts career at risk. Enquanto That’s it, Amanda Nunes continues his intense training pace, awaiting the definitive call from Dana White to see if he will enter the octagon in this first month of the year.
