While the upcoming fight against Amanda Nunes remains her primary focus, Kayla Harrison is already thinking about life beyond MMA. She believes she is ready to explore life outside the Octagon. Despite injuries and multiple surgeries, Harrison has won two back-to-back Olympic golds, numerous regional and world championships, and two professional MMA titles, building a resume few athletes can match.

Eleven months after herniated discs in her neck sideline her and delay her matchup with Amanda Nunes, Harrison is preparing for the long-awaited fight against the UFC legend, now scheduled at the Madison Square Garden in November. However, during her recent appearance on UFC on Paramount, Harrison revealed that she is also thinking about what comes next.

“Not long,” she said when Din Thomas asked how long she planned to compete. “I think yeah, 100% till the wheels fall off. But they’re, you know, four surgeries, four years…The wheels are a little wobbly, boys.

“Yeah, not much longer. I also, yeah, I’m ready to…Dude, I haven’t been on a date in like 5 years because I’m a single mom. I have two kids. I homeschool them. I train. Like, I just don’t have any free time. I’d like to like maybe meet someone.”

With her next title defense approaching, Harrison’s suggestion that she may not fight much longer could surprise some fans. Her comments reflect both her success and the setbacks that have made her future less certain.

Those setbacks are especially significant given Harrison’s achievements as a two-time Olympic judo champion and championship wins in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and the UFC.

Before the 2012 London Olympics, she tore her MCL but still won gold. She later underwent reconstructive knee surgery in 2013 and returned to claim a second Olympic gold in Rio De Janeiro in 2016. During her PFL years, Harrison dealt with chronic neck pain for five to six years, managing it with medication, physiotherapy, and stem-cell injections.

After reportedly going a decade without surgery, Harrison underwent four procedures between 2022 and 2026. Her most serious setback came in 2026, when herniated cervical discs caused nerve pain and arm weakness, forcing her to withdraw from her scheduled UFC 324 title defense against Amanda Nunes and undergo neck-fusion surgery.

The fight beyond the octagon: Kayla Harrison’s retirement dilemma

Harrison has considered retirement at several points, including due to the strain of competing at 135 pounds and recurring injuries. Ahead of UFC 316 in June 2025, she admitted that the difficult weight cut made her contemplate quitting. In April 2026, Harrison reportedly suggested she might walk away if the UFC did not provide a 145-pound division.

A closer look reveals Harrison may have left the PFL and joined UFC in January 2024 on similar grounds. Having primarily competed at 155 pounds (lightweight) in the PFL, Harrison wanted to test herself by seeking a fresh challenge at 135 pounds, a division the promotion did not offer at the time.

While it remains unclear whether the lack of 135-pound division was the main reason for her departure, a potential superfight between Harrison and Cris Cyborg was discussed during her time in the PFL. However, the matchup never materialized.

Given her responsibilities as a single mother, Harrison may feel she has already achieved nearly everything she set out to accomplish, building an impressive resume that stretches back to her amateur days.

At 36, Harrison has no obvious path to a higher weight class under the current UFC setup. Given her injury history, continuing to compete could mean facing younger opponents while risking further damage to her health as she tried to defend her title.

Harrison may ultimately decide that this is the right time to retire while she can still enjoy life outside the sport and devote more time to her personal life.