Harrison On Road Back From Neck Surgery

UFC women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison had to relearn how to trust her own body after neck surgery derailed her title defense earlier this year.

The operation pushed back Harrison's superfight with Amanda Nunes from UFC 324 to this weekend's UFC 334 co-main event at Madison Square Garden. Harrison told MMA Junkie she was dealing with nerve issues severe enough to threaten permanent damage while preparing for the original date, forcing doctors to intervene despite her being in prime fighting shape.

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Eight Weeks in a Brace, Then the Real Work Began

The recovery restrictions hit Harrison hard, BJPenn.com reports. She wore a neck brace for two months and could handle no more than 20 pounds during that stretch. Her fight diet went out the window. Once the brace came off, weight limits stayed at 50 pounds for another eight weeks before she could sprint again.

Worse than the physical setbacks was the mental battle when Harrison finally returned to training. "I was so scared to hurt my neck again," she said. Fear killed her confidence on the mat, and she began wondering whether the champion version of herself still existed. The pain disappeared entirely when she stepped away from training, which made her reconsider the whole pursuit.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC 334 on Ticketmaster →

Harrison described months of soul-searching to figure out if she still wanted to fight, noting her neck only bothered her when she trained. Rebuilding to her previous level took more effort than she expected, but she said the struggle has been worth it heading into Saturday's showdown with Nunes.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Kayla Harrison discusses road to UFC 334 after recovery from neck surgery