UFC champion’s manager Harrison: “The doctor said that without surgery she could be permanently paralyzed”

Manager Ali Abdel-Aziz, who represents the interests of UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison, spoke about the athlete’s health.

On January 24, Harrison was scheduled to fight Amanda Nunes at UFC 324, but withdrew from the fight, revealing that she had undergone neck surgery.

“This situation with the neck injury has been going on for a long time. Kayla hasn’t been 100% fit for the last three years. She always had a tingling sensation in her neck, and often she could not raise her arm at all. She was given injections, given a bunch of anti-inflammatory medications, but nothing helped.

The UFC flew her to New York, and the doctor there immediately said that she needed surgery, because otherwise she could remain paralyzed forever. The disc was pressing on the spinal cord. But I’ll tell you this: immediately after the operation, all the pain went away,” MMA Fighting quotes Abdel-Aziz.

35-year-old Harrison won 19 victories and one defeat in MMA. She has owned the championship belt since the summer of 2025 and has not yet made a single defense.

Watch live broadcasts of UFC tournaments on the Match TV and Match! Fighter”, as well as on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.