Kayla Harrison is a two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka and two-time PFL women's lightweight champion.
Kayla Harrison is a two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka and two-time PFL women’s lightweight champion. Her desire to test herself against the renowned Amanda Nunes has been a long-standing ambition. However, Nunes recently announced her retirement. Harrison’s dreams of facing off against the consensus greatest female fighter of all time have been shattered.
In June, Amanda Nunes the former UFC double champion who held the women’s bantamweight and featherweight titles decided to hang up her gloves after a triumphant victory over Irene Aldana at UFC 289. Nunes’ retirement marked the end of an era and left many fighters including Kayla Harrison without the chance to face off against her in the octagon.
Harrison was once a teammate of Nunes on the American Top Team. She had always regarded Nunes as the epitome of greatness in women’s MMA. Her eagerness to fight Nunes stemmed from a pure desire for competition. Rather than any ill will or animosity. In fact, Harrison had immense respect for Nunes acknowledging her as the greatest female fighter of all time.
However, the relationship between Harrison and Nunes became strained when Nunes made disparaging comments about their shared gym and coaches. Harrison found these remarks troubling and felt the need to address them. She clarified that her intention was never to disrespect Nunes but rather to express her admiration and desire to reach the same level of accomplishment and skill. Harrison’s straightforwardness and authenticity contrasted with the more reserved approach of some other fighters, like Merab Dvalishvili. Harrison firmly believed that one should not shy away from expressing genuine ambitions, even if it meant wanting to fight the greatest.
The retirement of Amanda Nunes was not the only missed opportunity for Kayla Harrison. Featherweight champion Cris Cyborg’s decision to re-sign with Bellator also meant that Harrison would have to wait for another shot at a high-profile fight. Unless Bellator and the PFL merge, as has been discussed, Harrison will have to be patient for the time being. Reflecting on her MMA journey, Harrison wondered if her timing had been less than ideal. She pondered whether transitioning to MMA at a younger age would have increased her chances of landing these coveted mega fights.
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