UFC 324 was expected to be a watershed moment in women’s MMA, the kind of co-main event that defines a year rather than being just a spectacle. Kayla Harrison defending her bantamweight title versus Amanda Nunes wasn’t promoted as a fun return fight. It was treated as the biggest possible collision in the division’s history.

A clash between two champions, two legacies, with a crown at stake. Then it vanished overnight. The sudden announcement that Kayla Harrison was out with a neck injury raised an inescapable question: Why not replace her and keep Nunes’ comeback alive? Dana White finally responded, and his reasoning was simple.

Dana White insists Amanda Nunes must wait for Kayla Harrison

Speaking with TMZ Sports, Dana White made it clear that this was not the type of contest that could be salvaged with a last-minute substitution. “This fight is the greatest female fight ever. You can’t just throw somebody else in there. You wait until she’s ready, and you do the fight properly.”

And, really, it makes sense. The Nunes homecoming was not planned around a specific date but rather around Kayla Harrison. The UFC didn’t bring ‘The Lioness’ back to test the waters. They brought her back for a statement, which exists only when Harrison is standing across from her.

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As for ‘Doug,’ she has been emotional about it. The 35-year-old announced she needed surgery in New York due to slipped discs, and she addressed fans from her hospital bed. “Hi guys, I just wanted to give a bit of an update… Yeah, this is a tough one,” she said, apologizing to Nunes and confirming the fight needs to be rescheduled.

The scariest part is how quickly it happened. One moment she’s preparing for the biggest battle of her career, the next she’s recovering from surgery. But Dana White provided a reassuring update on her condition. “It’s looking like Kayla, you know, surgery went well. She’s gonna make a full recovery… and yeah, we should be able to do the fight for sure.”

The UFC head honcho also took a moment to express love for Amanda Nunes, which is significant because most fighters in her position would be furious. “Amanda’s so awesome to work with; I’ve had a great relationship with her since day one. So, yeah, she’s very easy to work with.”

For the time being, the superfight is on hold—not cancelled or replaced, but simply postponed until the champion is physically capable of walking back into the fire. And, if Dana White is right, it won’t be a question of if it happens, just when. As for Amanda Nunes, she broke her silence by hinting that all she cares about is her craft, not the delays or distractions around it.

Nunes issues a direct reaction to the UFC 324 setback

Amanda Nunes’ response is so telling; she didn’t go online to complain, seek a replacement fight, or guilt-trip the UFC into keeping her on the date. Kayla Harrison is the opponent, period. And for someone as competitive as ‘The Lioness,’ that kind of patience is almost its own statement.

A week after the news emerged, Amanda Nunes finally posted for the first time since the setback. It wasn’t a long message, nor was it particularly emotional. Just training footage on Instagram, the kind that silently informs fans that she’s still locked in, with one line underneath: “The flame continues to live.”

What stood out the most was who she was training with. ‘The Lioness’ was spotted grappling with Larissa Pacheco, the only woman who has defeated Kayla Harrison in MMA. It felt purposeful, as if Nunes was already using the postponement to sharpen the exact blades she planned to use. When that Harrison date arrives, you can bet she’ll be ready.