‘This is a tough one’: Middletown native Kayla Harrison undergoes neck surgery, postpones UFC title defense

Middletown native Kayla Harrison announced Thursday she recently underwent neck surgery and her UFC title defense fight scheduled for Jan. 24 will be postponed.

Harrison confirmed the news in a video she posted to her Facebook account.

“Hi guys, I just wanted to give a bit of an update on my end. This is a tough one. I had to have surgery on my neck yesterday here in New York City with the specialist, Dr. Kim,” Harrison said in the video while wearing a neck brace and wiping away tears. “So yeah, in lieu of that, obviously we’re going to have to reschedule the fight and I just want to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry to Amanda. I was really looking forward to it and I just wanna thank everyone. I want to thank UFC for taking such good care of me.

“... I want to thank my mom who is taking care of my kids at home. I want to thank my coaches on American Top Team and all my teammates and yeah, this is day one of recovery and the road back starts now. I don’t know God’s plans. I know he knows this is my dream. I gotta praise him in the mountains and praise him in the valleys so he knows I’m grateful for this. I hope that it brings me closer to him and that he uses this story in a mighty way. Yeah, so that’s it. I’m sorry guys. I’ll be back soon. I’ll be back soon.”

My UFC 324 update. #kaylaharrison #ufc324 pic.twitter.com/p5KDtOpGhk
— Kayla Harrison Official (@KaylaH) January 15, 2026

Harrison, 19-1, is the reigning UFC women’s bantamweight champion, She was scheduled to fight Amanda Nunes, 23-5, Jan. 24 at UFC 324 in Las Vegas. The fight was to be the showcase of the organization’s first event broadcast on the Paramount+ platform, along with a contest between Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight title.

Sources previously told Cox First Media that Harrison, who attended Middletown City Schools, underwent surgery Tuesday in New York to repair herniated discs in her neck.

Harrison did not provide a timetable for when the fight against Nunes may be rescheduled.

Harrison, a two-time Olympic judo gold medalist in 2012 and 2016, claimed the UFC bantamweight title in June 2025 by submitting Julianna Pena. Harrison’s MMA record stands at 19-1, her only loss coming by decision to Larissa Pacheco in the 2022 PFL lightweight tournament final. Since joining the UFC in 2025, Harrison has notched three straight victories.