It’s been more than six months since Kayla Harrison injured her neck.
The Olympic gold medalist was forced to go under the knife back in January, which scrapped her planned title defense versus “The Lioness” Amanda Nunes, who returned from retirement specifically to take on her former training partner. Harrison’s neck injury was so severe that she was unable to make the UFC White House card as well, and updates on her return timeline have been rather vague.
Fortunately, Harrison’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz,
has offered a positive update. There still aren’t any dates mentioned, but Abdelaziz is confident Harrison will fight in 2026, likely around the end of the year.
“Yeah, she will fight this year for sure,” Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. “Towards the end of the year, she will fight, but I’m the one honestly, I said, ‘You know what? I want you to take your time, don’t rush, be healthy.’ That’s the most important thing for her to do. Why does she need to rush? She’s the champion, everybody is chasing her, they have to wait for her.”
In fact, there may be a need for Harrison to return back quickly for “the greatest women’s fight in UFC history.” It’s well-known that the 36-year-old veteran suffers greatly to make the 135-pound limit, and that cut will not be any easier after a layoff or as Harrison continues to age. Not too long ago, Harrison made it clear that her future at Bantamweight is limited, meaning UFC would to reopen Featherweight if it wants to remain in the Kayla Harrison business.
As it stands, Harrison last competed in June 2025, submitting Julianna Pena to capture her crown (watch here). Nunes, meanwhile, has been on the sidelines since June 2023 victory over Irene Aldana.
