The UFC has released an official statement addressing widespread rumours that the highly anticipated championship bout between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes is off.
After a month-long hiatus, the UFC is set to return on January 25 with UFC 324, the organisation’s first event of 2026 and the opening card of its new $7.7 billion US broadcast partnership with Paramount+.
The event will be headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between fan favourite Paddy Pimblett and former champion Justin Gaethje, with several major names scheduled to appear on the stacked card.
Injury Rumours Confirmed
Just days before the event, online speculation suggested that women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison had suffered a serious neck injury, putting her co-main event clash with UFC legend Amanda Nunes in doubt.
Initial reports claimed the 35-year-old underwent surgery in New York to repair herniated discs in her neck, an injury expected to keep her sidelined for at least six months. A potential return at a future UFC event at The White House has been floated, though nothing has been confirmed.
The UFC has now officially confirmed that the fight has been postponed.
In a statement published on the organisation’s website, the promotion said:
“Due to injury with Kayla Harrison, the championship bout against Amanda Nunes has been postponed to a later date.
“The new co-main event will feature the all-action matchup between former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and top contender Song Yadong.”
Co-Main Event Changed
With O’Malley vs Yadong replacing Harrison vs Nunes as the co-main event, it appears unlikely that Nunes will remain on the card against a late replacement opponent. However, that hasn’t stopped several high-profile fighters from publicly expressing interest in stepping in on short notice.
Who Could Fight Amanda Nunes?
Former women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg was the first notable name to emerge, sharing an image of herself in training while wearing a t-shirt promoting a rematch with Nunes. Cyborg famously lost her title to Nunes in December 2018 but has since gone on an impressive run, winning nine straight fights and capturing the PFL Women’s Featherweight World Championship.
Boxing superstar Amanda Serrano, a multiple-weight world champion, also threw her name into the mix—despite having just three professional MMA bouts on her record.
Posting on X, Serrano wrote:
“If UFC and Amanda Nunes are thinking of a replacement, I would love the challenge as I’m still in fight shape. Hope the champ recovers well.”