The American Kayla Harrison is preparing to compete in her first UFC fight against Holly Holm on the night of Saturday to Sunday at UFC 300 in Las Vegas (live on RMC Sport2). Before flaming in the cage, the 33-year-old athlete had a brilliant career in judo marked by two Olympic titles and a rivalry with Frenchwoman Audrey Tcheuméo.
Not a single fight in the UFC but already a star status. It is no coincidence that Kayla Harrison is on the prestigious UFC 300 card on Saturday in Las Vegas (live on RMC Sport 2). Opposed to Holly Holm, ex-61kg champion, the 33-year-old American could very quickly be propelled to the top of the category dominated by Raquel Pennington. It must be said that his journey has something to seduce. MMA and its most prestigious organization are fond of atypical trajectories. This is the case for the athlete born in Ohio at the dawn of the 1990s.
Before trying her hand at MMA and then becoming one of the star fighters in the PFL, Kayla Harrison shone on the tatami mats. Like Ronda Rousey, whom she met in training at the age of 16, the American performed quickly in judo. In 2008 in Bangkok, she was crowned junior world champion -78kg after a victory in the final against a promising young judokate, Audrey Tcheuméo.
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Audrey Tcheuméo and Kayla Harrison on the Olympic podium at the Rio Olympics in 2016 © AFP
She quits judo at 26 at the top after a second Olympic title
Barely more than three months separate the two athletes who will never leave each other at the highest level. In 2011, a year after a first world title won by Kayla Harrison in Tokyo (the first in the history of American judo), “Tchoumi” became world champion in Paris after dominating the American in the final. To the Frenchwoman’s world title, the American then responded with two Olympic gold medals in 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio.
In Brazil, she beat Audrey Tcheuméo in the final and said no more to judo at the height of her glory: “It’s my legacy, I’m retiring as a two-time Olympic champion and one of the greatest athletes in this sport,” says she said hotly. I’m 26, but I feel like I’m 56.”
Push to MMA by Ronda Rousey
Exhausted Kayla Harrison? Not that much. Because if she takes the time to take care of her association Fearless Foundation, which helps child victims of sexual abuse (she herself was sexually abused by her first trainer), the former tatami queen, pushed by her friend Ronda Rousey, a true MMA star, will return to combat in June 2018, two years after her retirement. In the cage this time.
And in the octagon, Kayla Harrison also sparks. She becomes a double champion (16-1). A success that even leaves her with some regrets when she sees the career of the GOAT Amanda Nunes: “It’s all a question of timing, she confided last year to ESPN. Sometimes I say to myself: ‘Did I really need a second gold medal? I should have started MMA at 22, I would have become this monster.”
Lacking exciting challenges, Kayla Harrison did not hesitate for long when the UFC asked her to challenge her compatriot Holly Holm (15-6), former English boxing world champion. A huge challenge for the one who had to lose a lot of weight to validate the weigh-in on Friday. Saturday in Las Vegas, a 17th victory in the cage would undoubtedly propel her to the top of a category lacking stars. Kayla Harrison ticks all the boxes.
2024-04-13 16:46:18
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