Problem with the weight class?
UFC nabs cage fighter Kayla Harrison
January 24, 2024, 8:00 p.m
The UFC has a new star: Kayla Harrison, a former Olympic gold medalist, will soon enter the elite organization’s Octagon. But she could have a problem before the cage duels – namely with her weight.
The MMA organization Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has signed Kayla Harrison, one of the best cage fighters in the world. This was announced by UFC boss Dana White. The two-time Olympic judo champion and two-time Professional Fighters League (PFL) champion will also face former UFC titleholder Holly Holm at UFC 300 on April 13 in Las Vegas.
“We are very grateful to Kayla for her great career in the PFL,” Harrison manager Ali Abdelaziz told ESPN. “With her support for the organization, she has become the fighter that she is. We look forward to starting a new chapter in the UFC.”
However, the jump to the 135 pound (61 kilogram) weight class will be a challenge for the 33-year-old, as she usually competes in two higher weight classes (up to 70.3 kilograms). Abdelaziz emphasized that Harrison tried weight cuts leading up to the deal with the UFC and was happy with the results.
There were already discussions between the UFC and Harrison at the end of 2021. But back then she made it clear that she didn’t want to reduce her weight so drastically. Her options to compete in the UFC were limited anyway. The lightweight class (70.3 kg) has never existed in the UFC, the featherweight class (up to 65.8 kg) was only eliminated in the summer due to a lack of challengers for long-time champion Amanda Nunes.
And yet Harrison’s commitment (record: 16 wins and 1 defeat) is a declaration of war on the competition. Harrison has been the face of rival organization PFL since her MMA debut in 2018. Just this weekend, the UFC crowned a new bantamweight titleholder in Raquel Pennington. The duel between Harrison and Holm is likely to be the decisive fight as to who can fight for the title in the future.
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2024-01-24 19:54:33
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