Kayla Harrison says neck surgery followed risk of permanent nerve damage

Kayla Harrison says she was close to suffering permanent nerve damage before undergoing neck and spinal surgery earlier this year. According to BBC Sport's Paul Battison, the UFC women's bantamweight champion needed an operation on five herniated discs, forcing the postponement of her planned January title defence against Amanda Nunes. Harrison described a recovery that made her question whether she would continue competing.

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The 36-year-old American said she had continued preparing for the bout despite severe pain and sensations she likened to lightning bolts. She subsequently spent eight weeks wearing a neck brace. In her account, the change from intensive fight preparation to restricted activity was difficult both physically and emotionally, leaving her uncomfortable in her body and feeling unlike herself.

Returning to training brought another challenge. Harrison said she feared injuring her neck again, and that apprehension undermined her confidence when she was able to resume work on the mat. She described having to consider carefully whether she wanted to return to the demands of elite competition. Being well enough for family life and feeling ready to fight again were different stages of that recovery.

Harrison credited the opportunity to face Nunes as an important motivation during that process. Their rearranged championship bout is scheduled for UFC 334 in New York on Saturday. The fighters are friends and previously trained together at American Top Team before Nunes left in 2022. Nunes, 38, is returning after retiring in 2023, having held the UFC featherweight and bantamweight titles simultaneously.

A two-time Olympic judo gold medallist, Harrison began her professional MMA career in 2018 and has won 19 of her 20 fights. Her only defeat came against Larissa Pacheco in 2022. She also won two PFL championships before taking the UFC bantamweight title last year in her third appearance for the promotion. Those achievements preceded the surgery and the uncertainty she described during rehabilitation.

Harrison did not commit to continuing her career beyond the Nunes fight when discussing her future. Instead, she left that decision open while expressing gratitude at being able to compete again. Her comments confirm the doubts she experienced during recovery, but do not amount to an announcement that the forthcoming title defence will be her final bout.