Kayla Harrison recently signed with the UFC and is set to make her promotional debut at UFC 300 against Holly Holm. Harrison will go down not one, but two weight classes to compete in the 135-pound division.
Many have questioned Harrison’s credentials and ability to compete at the highest level going into her UFC debut. Recently, her manager, Ali Abdelaziz, took to X (formerly Twitter) to issue a statement reiterating his support for her:
“I’m amazed how many champions, medium member haters talking about @KaylaH she work harder than any of her competition Good luck try to work harder than her she earned everything she [has] a April 13 All hard work”
Check out Abdelaziz’s tweet here:
Kayla Harrison is heading into the bout on the back of a win over Aspen Ladd in the PFL, where she used to compete. She holds a professional record of 16-1, with her only loss coming to Larissa Pacheco, an opponent she has two wins over.
Harrison is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo. She brings a dominant grappling game to the table and has an imposing style that only one opponent has been able to solve thus far.
An x-factor heading into her UFC debut is the matter of weight. It’s unclear how Harrison will perform or how much the cut down to bantamweight will affect her.
Kayla Harrison responds to Cris Cyborg, says her goal is to “be UFC champ”
After Kayla Harrison signed with the UFC, any hopes of a showdown with Cris Cyborg were gone. A matchup between the two was expected by many to go down but unfortunately it never ended up coming to fruition.
Cris Cyborg has since gone on a social media tirade against Harrison, accusing her of ducking the fight. In a recent tweet, she wrote:
“Starting to understand why @KaylaH tried to leave the @PFLMMA both times she became a free agent. @DonnDavisPFL @PeteMurrayPFL”
Kayla Harrison took notice of the tweet and issued her own response. She said:
“Surprised to find myself unblocked! Remember the first time I was a free agent? I came hunting for you. Be grateful I’m gone. My goal is to be UFC champ. Don’t use me for your games.”