UFC 324 takes brutal hit as injury scraps title fight the week before Paramount debut

The first UFC card of 2026 and the promotion’s new Paramount era has reportedly taken a seismic hit just over a week out from the event.

On break since Manel Kape stopped Brandon Royval in a UFC Fight Night main event on December 13 to officially close out the promotion’s 2025 schedule, the UFC is set to return next Saturday (January 24) and make its debut on Paramount when UFC 324 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

The card is headlined by an interim UFC lightweight title fight featuring former titleholder Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, but unfortunately it looks like the co-main event between UFC Bantamweight Champion Kayla Harrison and UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes has been scrapped due to injury.

Kayla Harrison Off UFC 324 Following Neck Injury

Confirmed by Léo Guimaraes following an initial report from Bill Burt of The Eagle Tribune, Harrison has apparently suffered a neck injury that will require her to undergo surgery.

A multiple-time PFL champion and Olympic gold medalist in judo, Harrison joined the UFC to considerable fanfare in 2024 and stopped former women’s bantamweight titleholder Holly Holm in her promotional debut at UFC 300. After winning a unanimous decision over Ketlen Viera, the 35-year-old challenged Julianna Peña at UFC 316 and claimed the 135 lbs. belt via second-round submission.

Kayla Harrison (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Julianna Pena (not pictured) in a bantamweight title bout during UFC 316. — Kayla Harrison (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Julianna Pena (not pictured) in a bantamweight title bout during UFC 316 at Prudential Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Guimaraes went on to note that the UFC women’s bantamweight champion will likely be out for at least the first half of 2026 following surgery, and at the moment it’s unclear if the UFC may decide to try and rebook Nunes for an interim title bout.

Amanda Nunes' UFC Return Could Be Put On Hold

News of Harrison’s injury is a massive blow to UFC 324, and it’s also a huge disappointment for hardcore MMA fans that were looking forward to what was arguably the biggest women’s fight in the history of the sport.

Considered by many to be the GOAT of women’s MMA, Nunes won and defended both the UFC featherweight and bantamweight titles during a dominant 12-fight win streak before she suffered a shocking upset-loss to the aforementioned Peña in 2021. “The Lioness” reclaimed her bantamweight belt in an immediate rematch with Peña before defending the title once again against Irene Aldana at UFC 289, where Nunes officially announced her retirement from MMA.

Amanda Nunes celebrates her victory by decision against Irene Aldana following UFC 289 at Rogers Arena. | Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

It’s unclear at this time how Harrison’s withdrawal may alter Nunes’ comeback plans, but the UFC will likely be scrambling to find some sort of last-minute addition for UFC 324 given that the event is just over a week away.

UFC 324 Fight Card

• Main Event: Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett – For the Interim UFC Lightweight Championship

• Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong

• Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Derrick Lewis

• Arnold Allen vs. Jean Silva

• Nikita Krylov vs. Modestas Bukauskas

• Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

• Ateba Gautier vs. Andrey Pulyaev

• Alex Perez vs. Charles Johnson

• Josh Hokit vs. Denzel Freeman

• Natalia Silva vs. Rose Namajunas

• Michael Johnson vs. Alexander Hernandez

• Ricky Turcios vs. Cameron Smotherman

• Ty Miller vs. Adam Fugitt

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