Harrison on verge of ‘permanent nerve damage’ before surgery

Kayla Harrison says she was close to permanent nerve damage before surgery on her neck and spine, which forced her planned title defence against Amanda Nunes to be postponed. Her account highlights the serious physical risks behind her return to competition, as she prepares to defend her UFC women’s bantamweight title against a former champion.

Harrison had five herniated discs and spent eight weeks in a neck brace after surgery at the start of the year. The 36-year-old says pain, fear of reinjury and doubts about her future made recovery difficult, but the prospect of facing Nunes helped motivate her. She has won 19 of 20 MMA fights; Nunes, 38, retired in 2023 and is returning for the bout at UFC 334 in New York.