The long-awaited fight between Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison in the UFC appears to be approaching, with the expectation of taking place in the final stretch of 2026. After the cancellation of the fight scheduled for January this year due to surgery on Kayla Harrison’s neck, businessman Ali Abdelaziz confirmed the new forecast, indicating that the current bantamweight champion (up to 61.2 kg) should return to the Octagon this period. The information was given in an interview with a vehicle specializing in martial arts.
“Yes, she [Kayla] will fight this year, for sure. She will fight towards the end of the year, but, honestly, I was the one who said: ‘You know what? I want you to do things calmly, without rushing, and take care of your health’. That is the most important thing for her. Why would she need to rush? She is the champion, everyone is behind her; they are the ones who have to wait for her”, said Abdelaziz about the athlete’s situation.
On the same topic: UFC confirms new date for fight between Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison at the end of 2026
Kayla Harrison made her last appearance in June 2025, when she won the coveted UFC belt by submitting Julianna Peña in the second round. Before this triumph, she had already accumulated two consecutive victories in the organization, since her debut in April 2024, when she overcame American Holly Holm and Brazilian Katlen Vieira.
Amanda Nunes’s condition for returning to the octagon
The postponement of Amanda Nunes’ return was a direct consequence of Kayla Harrison’s injury, which required a surgical procedure on her neck. Given the situation, the former holder of two UFC belts declared that her intention is to wait for her opponent to recover and will only accept the fight if the linear belt is not taken away from Kayla by the organization.
During that period, the Brazilian fighter expressed her regret over what happened to her former training partner, mentioning that she was at the peak of her physical and mental shape for UFC 324, an event in which the fight should have taken place in January. However, her position is clear: Amanda Nunes will not face any opponent other than for the UFC belt, ruling out a possible duel with Norma Dumont for the interim bantamweight title.