Kayla Harrison Admits She Considered Retiring Before UFC 334

Kayla Harrison says she seriously questioned whether she would ever fight again during her recovery from neck surgery, a setback that pushed her long-awaited clash with Amanda Nunes back to the UFC 334 co-main event on Nov. 14.

Harrison, the UFC women's bantamweight champion, was supposed to defend her title against Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 earlier this year, but she withdrew after undergoing extensive neck surgery. The fight has since been rebooked for UFC 334, with Harrison's belt on the line.

What Did Kayla Harrison Say About Retirement?

Kayla Harrison revealed on the Deep Waters podcast that the mental toll of the surgery hit harder than the physical recovery. "I feel awesome. To be honest, it was rough at the beginning. I think more just obviously physically, but mentally, it was such a big surgery, and I went 10 years without having surgery," Harrison said. "I had reconstructive knee surgery in between my two Olympics, and then I went 10 years with no surgery, but in the last four years I've had four surgeries back to back to back to back, and this one was the most serious. I kind of was just like, 'Dude, am I ever going to be OK again?' It got to the point where I was questioning if I was ever going to feel like myself again. But I'm back."

That is a striking admission from a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo who has built her entire career on grinding through adversity. Four surgeries in four years is a brutal run for any athlete, and Harrison's willingness to admit she doubted her own comeback adds real weight to how serious this layoff was.

Why the Nunes Fight Matters So Much Now

Kayla Harrison has not fought since beating Julianna Peña to win the bantamweight title at UFC 316, and her entire UFC run sits at 3-0, with victories over Ketlen Vieira and Holly Holm to go with the win over Peña. That means UFC 334 will mark roughly a year and a half away from live competition by the time she steps in with Amanda Nunes, one of the sport's most accomplished champions across two weight classes.

The UFC notably chose not to crown an interim champion while Harrison recovered, which tells you how much the promotion values this specific matchup. Holding the belt open for Harrison rather than running it back with another contender signals that Nunes versus Harrison was always viewed as the real title fight, injury delay or not.

For bettors, the long layoff and major surgery are the central variables here. A 10-month absence following neck surgery is not a minor data point, and anyone pricing this fight needs to weigh whether Harrison returns as the same physical force who steamrolled Peña, or whether there is rust and lingering caution in how she engages. Nunes, for her part, brings a résumé that makes her dangerous regardless of layoffs on either side. Expect the line to be sensitive to any further word on Harrison's training camp and sparring reports as fight week approaches.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Kayla Harrison fighting Amanda Nunes at UFC 334 instead of UFC 324?

Kayla Harrison withdrew from her scheduled UFC 324 title defense against Amanda Nunes after undergoing extensive neck surgery, and the bout was rescheduled for the UFC 334 co-main event on Nov. 14.

Did Kayla Harrison consider retiring after her neck surgery?

Yes, Kayla Harrison said on the Deep Waters podcast that during her recovery she questioned whether she would ever feel like herself again, though she says she now feels ready to return.

What is Kayla Harrison's UFC record heading into the Amanda Nunes fight?

Kayla Harrison is 3-0 in the UFC with wins over Holly Holm, Ketlen Vieira and Julianna Peña, the last of which earned her the women's bantamweight title at UFC 316.