Kayla Harrison went from being certain that a fight with Amanda Nunes was her destiny to wondering if she would ever fight again at all.
For years, fans have clamored to see the former American Top Team training partners step into the cage and the matchup finally happens Saturday when Harrison defends her bantamweight title against Nunes in the co-main event of UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Harrison was scheduled to face Nunes in January, but instead underwent surgery to address a serious
neck issue, pushing their matchup back 10 months.
As much as Harrison wanted to re-book the fight as soon as possible, the first battle she had to win was the mental one.
“Physically, I was preparing for the biggest fight of my life and I was obviously having an immense amount of pain,” Harrison said. “Having lightning bolts, was on the verge of having permanent nerve damage, but I was also training as if I wasn’t. So I was in the best shape of my life—as good a shape as I could be with that—and then I was in a neck brace for eight weeks. I couldn’t lift more than 20 pounds. I went from being on a very extreme diet to not being on a very extreme diet. After, I was in a neck brace for eight weeks, then I was allowed to take that off and lift 50 pounds. Then after that I was allowed to sprint. So physically, I did not feel like myself. I did not feel good. I did not feel good in my body.
“And mentally, to go from that high to that low is hard, and when I was finally able to get back on the mat, I really struggled with confidence. I think I was so scared to hurt my neck again, No. 1, and that lack of confidence made me question if I was ever going to feel like me again. I had a lot of soul-searching to do and digging deep. Because my neck didn’t hurt when I wasn’t training. If I was just being a mom, I could be fine, but getting back to the Kayla that I was was really really hard. And I had to do a lot of soul-searching and figure out if this is something that I really wanted and it is, and I do, and I thank God because I know that it all happened for a reason. I know that I have been humbled and I have been forged in the fire. I am unbreakable and that is because of His spirit.”
Harrison, 36, had already established a set-in-stone legacy before beginning her MMA career in 2018. In 2012, Harrison became the first American athlete to win Olympic gold at the London Games, and then became the first to do it twice when she repeated in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. She went on to win her first 15 pro fights, including a pair of PFL lightweight tournament victories.
Her success put her on a collision course with Nunes, a former two-division champion considered to be one of the greatest fighters of all time, but Nunes ended up retiring in 2023 before Harrison made her UFC debut. Undeterred, Harrison captured the bantamweight belt at UFC 316, prompting Nunes to announce a comeback. When Harrison vs. Nunes was delayed, keeping the dream fight alive provided plenty of motivation for Harrison.
“For sure, Amanda being the one waiting for me at the end of the tunnel was a big help, but also for me, it was important for me to come back,” Harrison said. “It was important for me to find a way back to Kayla.”
As much as it pained Harrison to have to wait and take time with her recovery, she’s now at peace with the timing of the fight.
“Like night and day,” Harrison said comparing how she feels now to how she felt before neck surgery. “I didn’t know how I could not be in pain 24/7. So the recovery was a lot longer than I anticipated. I had never had spinal, neck surgery before. I think in my head I was like, ‘Alright, I’m going to be back,’ but I think that the long layoff was really good for me.
“I’ve healed and I feel more confident. For a long time I didn’t and now I feel more confident than I’ve ever felt. It was the right thing. Everything is happening the way it was supposed to happen.”
Once Harrison and Nunes settle their business, questions remain as to what is left for the winner to achieve and whether this could potentially be the final fight for both bantamweight greats. Neither fighter has committed to the notion of retirement—a second one, in Nunes’ case—and Harrison is sticking to her story for now.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Harrison said. “We’ll see, but I’m just really grateful to be back, doing what I love again against the greatest of all time, and I can’t wait.”
