Kayla Harrison Back in Full Training for Nunes After Emergency Neck Surgery
Harrison resumed full training three weeks ago after emergency cervical spine surgery forced her out of UFC 324, targeting a November showdown with Amanda Nunes.
Kayla Harrison is back in full training camp after emergency neck surgery, with her anticipated showdown against Amanda Nunes expected for November 14 in New York, per Sherdog.
American Top Team muay thai coach Anderson Franca told Sherdog that Harrison, the UFC women's bantamweight champion, resumed full training approximately three weeks ago. The two-time Olympic judo gold medalist had suffered a serious cervical spine injury that forced her withdrawal from the UFC 324 main event against Nunes and required emergency surgery.
"Her injury was very serious. She had to undergo surgery and spent several months unable to train, but she made a great recovery," Franca said. He confirmed that Harrison "returned to full training for the fight."
The stakes could not be higher. Harrison holds the UFC bantamweight belt and has been on a collision course with Nunes, widely regarded as the greatest female fighter of all time. For Harrison, defeating Nunes would cement her own claim to that title.
Franca emphasized that this fight is about legacy. Harrison's resume already includes two Olympic gold medals in judo and an unbeaten run through PFL before arriving in the UFC. But beating Nunes would put her in a category by herself.
The November 14 date in New York gives Harrison roughly two months of full camp, a tight turnaround after major spinal surgery but one her team apparently feels confident about.
Emergency cervical spine surgery to full training in a matter of months is a serious recovery, and I am glad her coach is the one saying it rather than a press release. Harrison is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and an unbeaten machine, but the neck is not a knee. That is the part of the body you do not gamble with.
Still, this is the fight. Nunes is the greatest female fighter ever, and Harrison beating her is the only way she gets to claim the title for herself. Two Olympic golds, a perfect PFL run and a UFC belt are incredible, but they do not answer the Nunes question. November 14 in New York does.
Two months of full camp after spinal surgery is tight and everybody knows it. My honest read is that if the doctors and ATT are comfortable, the judo and the strength will carry her through. If the neck barks in camp, pull the fight. Legacy matters. Being able to turn your head at 50 matters more.
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