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Kayla Harrison’s career in the Professional Fighter’s League (PFL) has come to an end.
Earlier on Tuesday night (Jan. 23, 2024), UFC CEO Dana White announced that the promotion had signed Harrison, the two-time Judo Olympic gold medalist and former PFL champion. She’s set to make her UFC debut on April 13 at UFC 300, facing former Bantamweight queen Holly Holm in a high-profile bout at 135 pounds.
Watch White’s announcement below:
Breaking News: UFC has signed Kayla Harrison!#UFC300 Holly Holm vs Kayla Harrison pic.twitter.com/jQeLItwQmO
— danawhite (@danawhite) January 24, 2024
There’s actually a lot to consider with this match up. First and foremost, the weight class is a really surprising change of pace. Holm has fought most of her career at Bantamweight, but she also has jumped up to 145-pounds on a few occasions. Harrison, conversely, has only made 145-pounds once in her 17-fight professional career! She’s fought almost entirely at 155-pounds, so she’s facing a 20 pound adjustment here.
Holm does feel like a perfect opponent for Harrison’s debut. She remains one of women’s Bantamweight’s best-known names, and there’s obvious history and parallels to draw given Holm kicked a different Judo Olympian in the face many years ago. Given the lackluster Bantamweight title fight a few days ago at UFC 297, this is a much-needed injection of an exciting new contender … if Harrison can make the weight!
A final factor to consider is how this affects the ongoing PFL vs. Bellator champion match ups. Harrison is not the most recent PFL Lightweight champion — that would be Larissa Pacheco, who defeated Harrison in November 2022 but also lost to Harrison twice previously — but she was a frontrunner to face Bellator Featherweight queen Cris Cyborg anyway. There’s been a lot of hype over the years for that potential match up, but it’s officially gone for the foreseeable future.
Insomnia
Why … why are they pirates?
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to make waves at the biggest boxing event in history
Join us at Kingdom Arena for an epic fight where courage meets might in the #RingOfFire? 17 Feb 2024
Book your tickets now https://t.co/Zhbt7W9k3z#RiyadhSeason #BigTime… pic.twitter.com/DR6y5IK1Pd
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) January 22, 2024
Another fighter removed from the rankings pool for inactivity that fought (and won) far more recently than Brian Ortega …
? Fighter removed: Carla Esparza
— UFC Roster Watch (@UFCRosterWatch) January 23, 2024
Foot sweeps are always cool.
Dany Bill countering Panomrunglek Chor Sawat’s knee strike at Lumpinee stadium in 1995 #muaythai pic.twitter.com/6zDJxVDrAG
— Muay Thai Scholar (@MuayThaiScholar) January 21, 2024
Cop took some Judo classes… pic.twitter.com/uh15DGmw2M
— Best Clips (@BestFightClip) January 23, 2024
Dricus Du Plessis is enjoying his hard-earned title win in style.
Honestly GOTTA respect Dricus after this one pic.twitter.com/eholWn4o2C
— MMA Casuals (@MMA_CASUALS_) January 22, 2024
Dricus is still partying in Toronto as he should
via IG / PeterGirges pic.twitter.com/0oLICTpw1i
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) January 23, 2024
This clip is so funny to me. There is only one “Stillknocks!”
You guys are talking about the wrong headbutt pic.twitter.com/je2Iy5HTPN
— Miguel Class (@MigClass) January 22, 2024
MMA fighters and politics, a mix like chocolate and peanut butter.
BJ Penn has appeared to go so far right that he came out the other end as a communist. Free government fruit is his main platform (at least so far) for his 2024 city council run. pic.twitter.com/bkxOVy8GHJ
— Borrachinha Depot (@FullContactMTWF) January 23, 2024
Bryan Barberena should not be at Middleweight, so I’m predicting a “GM3” submission here.
Gerald Meerschaert will fight Bryan Barberena at #UFCVegas88 on March 16th. #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2024 pic.twitter.com/98NwzF5kFh
— Marcel Dorff (@BigMarcel24) January 23, 2024
Slips, rips, and KO clips
A TRIPLE upkick KO? That’s a new one.
Brutal upkick KO by Sung Woong Kim this morning at Black Combat pic.twitter.com/jaz1OSbKPR
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) January 20, 2024
The front kicks looked stabbing, and the composure off the back foot prior to the stoppage was really impressive too.
16-year-old Akito Nakajima (@akito_424) improves his record to 6-0 and maintains his 100% KO ratio with a vicious body-kick finish. pic.twitter.com/EO5UfnNjt8
— Benjamin (@AJKFenjoyer) January 21, 2024
Lorenz Larkin taking apart prime Neil Magny with oblique-style kicks to the mid-section was awesome, and nobody else has really used that weapon since!
“Da Monsoon” Lorenz Larkin vs Neil Magny | UFC 202
Larkin absolutely butchers Magny from start to finish in a lopsided beatdown getting the finish slumping Magny with some brutal elbows from a failed takedown attempt. #UFC #MMA
Requested by @NotRobbieLawler pic.twitter.com/PccoaK6gIt
— Underrated MMA Performances (@MMAUnderrated) January 23, 2024
Random Land
An impressive show of strength.
Eagle carrying an entire adult deer pic.twitter.com/YxCWkdyLSG
— BiffDon (@BiffDon) January 20, 2024
Midnight Music: Post-hardcore, 1994
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.