Her opponent for the title would be Amanda Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC). The original co-main event of UFC 324 was announced nearly two months ago, when UFC CEO Dana White made a special halftime appearance against the Kansas City Chiefs during the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game on The NFL today.
Everything seemed to go according to plan for the Jan. 24 lid lifter on the UFC’s 2026 schedule at T-Mobile Arena. However, in the final days before the card, Kayla Harrison’s plans were foiled in an instant.
Kayla Harrison ruled out of UFC 324 due to major surgery
A week ago on Wednesday, it was announced that Kayla Harrison would miss the upcoming UFC 324 due to critical neck surgery. Ali Abdelaziz, Harrison’s manager, was a guest Submission radio in the Monday episode of the program.
During the interview, Abdelaziz said explained how crucial Kayla Harrison’s problems had become.
“This has been going on for a long time,” Abdelaziz began. “Kayla hasn’t been 100 percent for the last three years, since the PFL days. She always had tingling, but she couldn’t lift her arm. She literally went and got a shot, a whole bunch of meds, anti-inflammatory, nothing worked.”
During a trip to New York City to seek medical attention, Harrison heard some sobering news.
“The doctor immediately [said] she had to have surgery,” Abdelaziz said. “If she doesn’t get surgery, it could paralyze her. The intervertebral disc presses on a spinal cord, but I’m going to tell you something: immediately after the operation all pain is gone.”
Abdelaziz speaks from personal experience about Kayla Harrison’s surgery
Ali Abdelaziz himself has undergone neck surgery in the past. He mentioned in the Submission radio interview how useful it was to go through the procedure.
“I’m almost 50 years old,” he said. “I had neck surgery and my neck is much better than when I was 21.”
From there, Ali Abdelaziz credited the UFC staff for sending Harrison to the Big Apple to provide her with vital treatment.
“It’s like nothing happened,” he said of Kayla Harrison’s surgery. “I think this is the best decision she made. I’m sorry to all the fans who missed this fight, but you know, Amanda Nunes isn’t going anywhere. She probably needed a little more time. I feel for her too.”
Abdelaziz on Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes Procrastination and what’s next
While there is no word yet on a new date for the postponed fight at the time of writing, the UFC will undoubtedly re-book Kayla Harrison once the current champion gets a clean bill of health. Abdelaziz understands Harrison’s feelings regarding this weekend’s cancellation.
“She put a lot into it [her] A lot of time and effort has gone into it,” he said. “Kayla was devastated and heartbroken. I still support her decision 100 percent. If you go ahead and lose because you [were] not the best fighter, it’s okay. If you go on and lose because you are injured, [this] will haunt her for the rest of her life.”
When Kayla Harrison’s next fight takes place, despite the opponent, Ali Abdelaziz is confident her return will be must-see TV.
“I’ve seen this girl come back from crazy things,” he said of Harrison. “She comes back and shuts up [up] all doubters, close [up] all the haters, and the goal is still the same. If it’s Amanda, okay. If it’s someone else, it’s okay. It doesn’t matter who is next, but who will be next, they will have a long, long night ahead of them.
Final thoughts
Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes was set to be one of the most exciting MMA fights in early 2026 before the fight was postponed. Should the UFC choose to rebook the fight once Harrison is cleared to return to training camp, it will undoubtedly be a main event.
Considering Harrison had to undergo major surgery, she will have to make the most of every second of recovery time afforded her and not think twice about it. Once her return fight is confirmed, mark your calendars.
It will take 25 minutes [or less] action you don’t want to miss.
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