Kayla Harrison: neck surgery nearly ended her career before UFC 334

Kayla Harrison says she was “on the verge of having permanent nerve damage” before the neck surgery that pulled her out of her first fight with Amanda Nunes, and that the recovery nearly drove her into retirement. Her interviews ahead of UFC 334 this weekend made her one of the top searches in the UK.

The injury

Harrison, the UFC women’s bantamweight champion, had surgery on her neck at the start of 2026 after UFC doctors in New York recommended it, reports said at the time. Her manager said a disc in her neck was replaced, and one report said she had five herniated discs.

She withdrew from UFC 324 in January, where she was due to defend her title against Nunes in the co-main event, and apologised to Nunes publicly.

“I was in a neck brace for eight weeks,” Harrison said, according to Yahoo Sports. She said the recovery left her questioning whether to fight again: “I was devastated.” After what she called some soul searching, she decided to come back.

UFC 334: Harrison vs Nunes

The fight with Nunes has been moved to this weekend’s UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden in New York, again as the co-main event. Nunes is a former two-division UFC champion.

Harrison has admitted she still has some doubts about how her surgically repaired neck will hold up once the fighting starts.

The main event at UFC 334 is Ciryl Gane against Josh Hokit, who wore goggles to their face-off.

When to watch in Pakistan

A Saturday night card in New York falls on Sunday morning in Pakistan. Check the UFC’s own listings for exact times.