UFC 324: Kayla Harrison exits her bantamweight title fight with Amanda Nunes due to injury

Kayla Harrison has been ruled out of her bantamweight title defense against Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 in Las Vegas next week after suffering an injury.

The UFC has not yet revealed the extent of the injury, but American media reported that Harrison needs surgery to treat a herniated disc in her neck.

The UFC says the bout, which was scheduled to be the co-main event at T-Mobile Arena on January 24, “has been postponed to a later date.”

The promotion has not announced a replacement bout and instead promoted former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley’s contest with Song Yadong to the co-main event.

Harrison (35 years old) was scheduled to make her first title defense against former double champion Nunes in a match that UFC president Dana White described as “the biggest women’s fight ever.”

Harrison, a former two-time UFC lightweight champion, defeated Juliana Pena in June to win the belt in only her third fight in the UFC.

Brazilian Nunes, considered by many to be the greatest women’s mixed martial artist of all time, is scheduled to compete in her first bout since retiring from the sport in 2023.

The 37-year-old former bantamweight and featherweight champion is the only woman in history to hold UFC titles in two separate divisions.

Headlining the card on January 24 will be Briton Paddy Pimblett, who is scheduled to face American Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title.