Harrison must have great cardio from all that running.
Donn Davis is disappointed.
The PFL chairman was hoping to keep Kayla Harrison on the promotion’s roster (like it did in 2022), where the two-time Olympic gold medalist could bolster her legacy with a pair of super fights against MMA legend Cris Cyborg and longtime nemesis Larissa Pacheco.
Instead, Harrison “ran” to UFC to “validate herself.”
“We brought Kayla in from the Olympics, developed her into an 18-1 star, two-time champion, and one of the greatest women — Top 5 in the sport today,” Davis told MMA Today. “Nothing but pride for that and nothing but respect for Kayla. As a competitor, to build the company, I want every great fighter here. I’m disappointed that we couldn’t keep Kayla here for, what I think, are the two biggest fights of her legacy and her career.”
Harrison signed with UFC — as a bantamweight — back in January.
“Avenging Pacheco and winning the championship and beating Cyborg who is the greatest ever, I think those are the two toughest fights ahead of Kayla,” Davis continued. “I don’t like that she ran from those. I don’t like that she ran to a brand to validate herself. I think so highly of Kayla Harrison, she doesn’t need a brand to validate her. She’s that great … so that disappointed me.”
Davis has a Rolls Royce but no one to drive it.
Harrison (17-1) made her Octagon debut at UFC 300 back in April, finishing former bantamweight champion Holly Holm with a second-round submission. The 34 year-old judoka will return to action as part of the UFC 307 pay-per-view (PPV) event on Sat. night (Oct. 5, 2024) in Salt Lake City, battling Brazilian bruiser Ketlen Vieira.
A victory in “The Beehive State” is likely to earn Harrison the next 135-pound title shot.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 307 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPNN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
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