Kayla Harrison knows the questions are coming. She doesn’t know when and doesn’t know exactly what form they will take. But in any interview she does about her burgeoning mixed martial arts career, Ronda Rousey will make an appearance.
Harrison would rather talk about her Fearless Foundation, her four-fight deal with the World Series of Fighting or her announcing appearance on its television broadcast Saturday. But after five years in the spotlight, she gets what’s coming and why.
“When I talk about Ronda, it makes headlines,” she said. “I understand.”
Rousey, who can be spotted in meme form all over the internet after her brutal loss to Amanda Nunes Friday at UFC 207, is the most famous fighter in a sport on the rise. Her fall, just as meteoric as her rise, has left a hole in an MMA world that is in desperate need of stars. Who better to fill it than her former roommate, a woman with whom she shared joy, betrayal and ramen noodles?
“There’s no problems between us,” Harrison said. “Ronda and I don’t have any beef or drama. We just live in two different worlds. I can go to the grocery store without somebody trying to take a picture of me. And I like the world I live in.”
It’s a natural narrative. In some ways, the endless comparisons between the two women even make sense. On the surface, it’s easy to see why someone would think Harrison was, once again, barreling down a path Rousey had blazed.
Both are top-level judo players and matriculated from the same school—Pedro’s Judo Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Both women are Olympic medalists. Rousey took home a bronze medal in 2008 and Harrison won gold in both 2012 and 2016. Both are blond, personable and unyielding on the mats.
“In other countries, women train with women and men with men,” Jimmy Pedro Jr., who coached both Harrison and Rousey, said. “We don’t have enough women for that. And I think that gives our women a competitive advantage. Kayla trains with all guys. So did Ronda. All day long, every day, Kayla’s fighting men. She’s moving men around.
“Men come in here and think they are going to take it easy on her. They realize after the first gripping exchange that this girl is a physical specimen. She’s as strong as many men. And, unless those men are at Olympic or national champion level, she tortures the guys who come here. Even if they are black belts.”
I was told to tread lightly, but Harrison is at ease discussing Rousey. She laughs at the idea that the two are enemies and is equally amused that the media finds Rousey so indecipherable. To her, Ronda is just the girl she grew up with, who defended her to bullies on judo message boards and with whom she experienced the highs and lows of competition and life in general.
“I read her diary, and she hated me,” Harrison admits. “I shouldn’t have done that, and I’m not proud of it. We were girls…She forgave me. We understand each other. We’ve both put our lives on hold, lost relationships and friendships. You have to be willing to sacrifice all of that. You have to let people think you’re a jerk or a b-i-t-c-h if you want to be successful.”
It’s that moment, when she couldn’t bring herself to say b—h, instead spelling it out like there was a second-grader listening in we needed to protect from himself, where Harrison and Rousey part ways. Rousey, when she used to do media, was often profane and obscene. Harrison? You could practically feel her blush across the phone.
“I probably could have said b—h. But that’s who I am,” Harrison said with a laugh. “My grandparents read every news piece that comes out about me. Can you imagine if I said a curse word? They would be so disappointed. Please don’t disappoint Meemee and Pawpee.”
Harrison is a natural conversationalist, jumping from topic to topic with verve and ease. You could see her thriving in the broadcast booth. But a cage fight? Even she doesn’t seem particularly sure.
“I’m scared to get into a cage and have them lock the door behind me,” Harrison said. “And nobody gets out until someone is beaten to a pulp. That’s a scary thought. But at the same time, I’m a fighter. I’m a survivor. I’ll find a way.”
MMA, Harrison realizes, is a different beast than judo. While many of the movements are the same, the strategies and execution differ by miles. Much of what she does best is predicated on Pedro’s proprietary gripping system. Converting throws and submission holds that require a firm hold on a judogi into those possible in MMA competition will be a serious challenge.
“I do a lot of hip throws, uchimata or harai goshi, and those work without the gi,” Harrison said. “It’s what I’m known for in judo. For eight years, I’ve been practicing uranage, which is kind of like a big pro wrestling throw. I’d love to Rock Bottom somebody. That could happen if someone tries to clinch with me, which I don’t see happening. But we’ll see. This is all just speculative. I have no idea what will happen.”
She’s begun work with a boxing coach, focusing on the movements and technique she’ll need in her new career. As yet, however, things haven’t gotten physical. In 2017, she will start training in earnest. To paraphrase Mike Tyson, she has a plan—but she hasn’t been hit in the face yet. And she’s not looking forward to it.
“I have the average human response,” she said. “I’m not looking forward to getting punched in the face. I think it’s normal not to be excited about it, right? At the same time, it’s a new journey for me. Part of me is excited.”
While much will change, other things will stay the same. Harrison will remain with the Pedros, with training supplemented by local kickboxing instructor Mark DellaGrotte and jiu-jitsu ace Renzo Gracie. Other gyms have expressed interest. UFC reached out about signing a fight contract. For Harrison, it’s all about loyalty and comfort.
“I’ve trusted them this far in my career and been pretty successful,” she said. “Why wouldn’t I continue to trust them now?”
The Pedros, famously, turned down a request from Rousey to train her for MMA in 2009. Since then, they’ve grown more accustomed to the sport, working with former judo pupils like Bellator’s Rick Hawn.
While the International Judo Federation hasn’t softened its stance on MMA, even asking Harrison not to fight, the Pedros are no longer hesitant to leap into the fray. Already running the best judo gym in the country, they have their sights locked on the world of fighting.
“The people in the game with a scientific approach have the most success,” Pedro said. “And we bring that to the game. We break down film and focus on strategy. What are the opponent’s strengths, and how can we take them away to win? We might fight 25 people in a judo tournament, and we have to have a plan for every one of them. In MMA, it’s one person and we have six months to prepare. It’s almost relaxing.”
For Harrison, the new adventure offers a much-needed reprieve from the daily grind of her current life. Every year, Pedro has her write down what she wants to accomplish. Right now, hanging on her refrigerator, is a list of goals headed by “Olympic Champion: Kayla Harrison.” On Sunday, that list gets tossed, and a new one goes up.
“Everything I did in Judo, I learned in the first six months at Pedro’s Judo Center. For the last 15 years, I’ve been doing the same things over and over again. I won two gold medals by mastering the basics,” she said. “Now I have to master the basics all over again, but this time in boxing, in jiu-jitsu, in wrestling, in Muay Thai. So I have my hands full for a little bit.
“The last year of my judo career, it was very, very hard for me mentally to get up and get excited for practice and get excited to do the same things I’ve been doing every day, twice a day for 20 years. I had to be especially disciplined because I wasn’t very motivated. I got burned out. But with this, I’m excited to go to practice and see what else I can learn. I’m excited about this new life.”
Jonathan Snowden covers combat sports for Bleacher Report.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com