Fighter Profile: Kayla Harrison
By Oli Dickson Jefford
Few fighters have started their MMA career as impressively as Kayla Harrison, who is yet to lose in 12 bouts.
However such a record should not come as a surprise, with the 31-year-old excelling as a judoka before entering the octagon for the first time in 2018.
Here’s all you need to know about the American who could take the MMA world by storm in 2022.
Judo star
Born in Ohio, Harrison’s mum was a judo black belt and she herself took up the sport aged six.
Twice a national champion at age level before turning 15, she first made her mark on the global stage when she won the World Junior Championships in 2008.
Harrison lost in the second round on her World Championship debut in 2009 but would become one of the most successful competitors of the decade.
She won the -78kg world title in Tokyo in 2010 and backed that up with a bronze medal the following year, before claiming Olympic gold at London 2012.
Another world bronze medal followed in 2014 as well as a string of Pan American Games and Pan American Judo Championship medals, with a second Olympic gold at Rio 2016 the icing on the cake.
Harrison retired from judo with a 47-5 record following the Rio Olympics, moving to MMA two years later.
Career so far
Harrison made her MMA debut in June 2018 in Chicago, picking up a comfortable Round 1 victory over Brittney Elkin to start her career with a win.
And it was just a year and a half later when she picked up her first notable result, winning the 2018 PFL Women’s Lightweight Tournament thanks to a win over Larissa Pacheco.
The pandemic undoubtedly disrupted her career, not fighting for 11 months after that win over Pacheco in December 2019.
However she beat Courtney King in November 2020, with four impressive wins in 2021 seeing her maintain an unbeaten start to her MMA career and claim a second PFL title.
Impressively only two of her 12 fights to date have gone to a decision, with five knockout victories and five victories by submission during her career.
What next?
Having excelled at PFL level, many now hope that Harrison will take the next big step in her career over the coming 12 months.
Rumours of a move to either UFC or Bellator are circulating, with both bodies making it known that they would be interested in signing the American.
UFC head Dana White has claimed that the best way for Harrison to prove herself would be a fight against Amanda Nunes, one of UFC’s biggest stars and someone considered an MMA all-time great.
A fight between Harrison and Nunez would be huge, though Bellator boss Scott Coker has said a fight against the equally fearsome Cris Cyborg is also possible.
Harrison certainly has little to prove with two PFL titles so a move upwards looks likely and should be something she is pursuing.
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