UFC Acquires Kayla Harrison from PFL, will Fight Holly Holm at UFC 300.
Harrison (right) will face Holm (left) at UFC 300 on April 13. (via ESPN)
UFC President Dana White announced via X on Tuesday night that former PFL Lightweight Champion and two time Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo, Kayla Harrison. White also announced that Harrison would make her debut against former UFC Bantamweight Champion, Holly Holm at UFC 300.
This acquisition gives the bantamweight division some much needed depth since the departure of former Bantamweight and Featherweight Champion, Amanda Nunes. However, the most surprising aspect of this signing is that Harrison has yet to compete at 135 lbs. in her entire career.
For the majority of Harrison’s mixed martial arts career, she has competed in the lightweight division (155 lbs.) and made the drop to featherweight (145 lbs.) once in her 17 fight career where she defeated Courtney King via TKO in November of 2020.
White has stated via Instagram Live that Harrison has already made some test weight cuts to 135 lbs. and is more than confident that she will be able to make the weight cut without any problems. Harrison has gone on record saying that she is willing to make the lifestyle changes in order to make the required weight. She elaborated on this process in an interview done with MMA Fighting.
“I mean 135 will challenge me in ways like I’m going to have to lose a piece of me to be able to fight at 135 pounds,” Harrison said this past November. “I think just structurally, I carry a lot of muscle. I’m already kind of lean, so I’m going to have to lose muscle. I’m going to have to change my entire lifestyle. I mean I have already done that to fight at 145.
Holm has been a mainstay in the bantamweight division for quite some time, and has still been successful even at the age of 42. She is 3-1 with one no contest in her last 5 fights and most recently was matched up with bantamweight title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva which resulted in a no contest.
It still remains to be seen whether or not Harrison’s ability will be compromised at bantamweight, as well as her ability to take a shot. Holm is a former kickboxing world champion, and still has the knockout power even this late into her career. It will be interesting to see whether or not Holm can stay on the feet long enough to test Harrison’s chin.
