Kayla Harrison Targeted Return Date

Kayla Harrison (19-1-0, 6 KOs and 8 Subs) is expected to make her return to the UFC later this year.

Harrison joined the UFC in 2024 after a dominant, 16-1 run in PFL MMA. She scored three UFC wins in a row, winning the women’s bantamweight championship with a kimura submission over Julianna Pena at UFC 316 in 2025. Harrison was due to fight former 2-time UFC bantamweight champion, Amanda Nunes (23-5-0, 13 KOs and 4 Subs), who was set to come out of retirement, in January. However, she withdrew from the fight to undergo neck surgery.

Harrison’s representative, Ali Abdelaziz, confirmed a timeline for her return this week.

“She will fight this year for sure,” he said. “Towards the end of the year, she will fight.”

Although Harrison’s team did not confirm who she will be fighting upon her return, it’s expected she will be targeting Nunes. Nunes, meanwhile, rejected rumors she could fight for an interim title, saying, instead that she only wanted to fight Harrison.