Kayla Harrison Provides Emotional Update After Being Forced Out Of UFC 324

Kayla Harrison is breaking her silence after a serious neck injury made her pull out of her huge co-main event fight against Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 ... posting a video from her NYC hospital bed after undergoing surgery, fighting back tears, and declaring, "I'll be back soon."

Harrison shared the video with her followers on Thursday morning, and it's crystal clear how much of a toll the situation has taken on her ... torpedoing one of the most anticipated fights in the history of women's MMA.

"I'm sorry to Amanda," Kayla said. "I was really looking forward to it."

The 35-year-old went on to thank the UFC for looking after her, the doctor who performed the surgery, her coaches and teammates at American Top Team in Florida, and her mom, who was "taking care of my kids at home."

"This is day one of recovery, and the road back starts now," Harrison said. "I don't know God's plans. I know he knows this is my dream. So, I gotta praise him in the mountains and praise him in the valleys."

Kayla did not provide a timeline for when she'll be able to return to competition or identify the exact injury she sustained.

The fight was set to mark the end of a two-and-a-half-year layoff for Nunes, who many consider the G.O.A.T., after she retired following a successful bantamweight title defense against Irene Aldana in June 2023.

Due to the fight being called off -- which the UFC said will be rescheduled -- Sean O'Malley's fight against Song Yadong was elevated to the co-main event, the promotion's debut on Paramount.