Kayla Harrison is offering to help Julianna Peña with her business. Two of the most powerful women in MMA today are UFC bantamweight champion Julianna Peña and reigning PFL champion Kayla Harrison. These two have been battling it out with words recently but Harrison has also been campaigning to battle it out with Peña inside…
Kayla Harrison is offering to help Julianna Peña with her business.
Two of the most powerful women in MMA today are UFC bantamweight champion Julianna Peña and reigning PFL champion Kayla Harrison. These two have been battling it out with words recently but Harrison has also been campaigning to battle it out with Peña inside the cage.
Harrison had teased a cross-promotional bout with Peña, but she recently re-signed with PFL, thus making the chances of them fighting slim. However, Harrison is willing to link up with Peña outside of the cage, to discuss business after Peña took a shot at Harrison for trash-talking when ‘she knows the fight could never happen.’
“This is the stuff I hate. I encourage Julianna to really understand the business, and how contracts work especially for her sake because I don’t think she gets paid what probably she should get paid,” she told Morning Kombat (h/t Middle Easy).
Harrison has taken some heat from Peña as of late. She was criticizing the level of competition that she has faced so far at PFL. Peña has also commented on Amanda Nunes’ departure from American TopTeam, the gym that Harrison currently trains out of. Despite the hits from Peña, Harrison is still willing to share some financial insights.
“I encourage her to reach out. She can ask me for help if she needs it on how to get your worth and not sign seven-year contracts and not sign your life away to a promotion,” she added. “I have nothing but respect for her.”
Two-time PFL lightweight tournament, victor, Kayla Harrison has warned media and those who have campaigned for her to fight UFC bantamweight champion, Julianna Pena, that the Washington native would be “seriously hurt” if they competed against each other. Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo, boasts a 12–0 professional record, most recently defeated […]
Two-time PFL lightweight tournament, victor, Kayla Harrison has warned media and those who have campaigned for her to fight UFC bantamweight champion, Julianna Pena, that the Washington native would be “seriously hurt” if they competed against each other.
Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo, boasts a 12–0 professional record, most recently defeated Taylor Guardado in the final of last year’s PFL lightweight tournament with a second round armbar.
For Pena, the recently minted bantamweight champion managed to scoop the undisputed title back in December of last year in the co-main event of UFC 269 – handing former two-weight champion, Amanda Nunes a massive upset, rear-naked choke submission loss.
Pena has since coached the new instalment of The Ultimate Fighter rematch against Nunes, ahead of a bantamweight title rematch between the duo later this summer, however, has been linked with a bout against Harrison as the latter attempts to land a series of high-profile career wins.
Kayla Harrison issues warning to those who call for her to fight Julianna Peña
Sharing her thoughts on a potential matchup against Pena, Harrison, who recently penned a deal with PFL to compete in this season’s lightweight tournament, warned media and those calling for the fight with Pena, that they would get the bantamweight champion badly hurt.
“Listen, you and the media need to be careful,” Kayla Harrison said during an interview with MMA Fighting. “You’re going to get somebody hurt and it’s going to be on your hands, not mine. Because you’re going to get a girl hurt. You’re going to get her (Julianna Pena) really, seriously hurt, and it’s not going to be on my conscience because you guys did this.”
“You guys gave her (Pena) this platform and you allowed her to think that she could stand in a cage with me and beat me and you gave her this delusion,” Kayla Harrison explained. “I mean it. You guys are to blame. If I ever get the pleasure of fighting her, whatever happens, I want all of you guys to go and look in the mirror and know that you did that. ‘Cause you are stirring it and I’m very frustrated that I can’t just beat her ass.”
“Kayla’s (Harrison) just running her mouth because she knows nothing’s ever going to happen of it, you know?” Julianna Pena said. “She just signed her life away to PFL. So best of luck with that. I hope it’s good. Make your career off of beating tomato cans. That’s great.”
Kayla Harrison knows deep down that one day she’ll share the cage with Cris Cyborg. Harrison is a two-time PFL women’s lightweight tournament winner, and is undefeated in her mixed martial arts (MMA) career at 12-0. The 31-year-old Olympic gold medalist has drawn a lot of comparisons to the likes of former UFC champion Ronda…
Kayla Harrison knows deep down that one day she’ll share the cage with Cris Cyborg.
Harrison is a two-time PFL women’s lightweight tournament winner, and is undefeated in her mixed martial arts (MMA) career at 12-0. The 31-year-old Olympic gold medalist has drawn a lot of comparisons to the likes of former UFC champion Ronda Rousey.
With that, there has also been a ton of talk about a dream matchup between Harrison and Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg. Speaking to MMA Underground recently, Harrison was asked if she saw Cyborg’s most recent outing against Arlene Blencowe.
Cyborg bested Blencowe via unanimous decision after five rounds. It was the first time since Felicia Spencer in 2019 that an opponent wasn’t finished by Cyborg inside the cage. Harrison admitted that she didn’t see the fight, and it might have something to do with her feeling that it should’ve been her fight.
“I didn’t watch it,” Harrison said. “I’m going to, though. I’m in camp, I’m tired, my kids wake up at 6:00 am, it’s really late, and probably a little bit subconsciously I was probably like ‘f*ck that fight.’
“If I’m being honest. There was a point during free agency where I thought I was going to be fighting Cris Cyborg on April 22 in Hawaii. So no, I didn’t watch it.”
Despite the fact that the two women currently fight under different promotional banners, Harrison knows she’ll meet Cyborg inside a cage one day. And when that day comes, they’ll find out exactly who is the better fighter.
“I already know who Cyborg is and what she is,” Harrison said. “She’s a f*cking human being just like me. When we fight, we’re going to step into the cage and find out who is better at MMA. That’s it.
“That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to find out who is a better fighter. I already know she’s a human. She’s not Godzilla, she’s not King Kong, she’s just a fighter.”
PFL women’s lightweight champ Kayla Harrison has revealed that she has no interest in pursuing the fame that comes with being one of MMA’s biggest female stars. In the past year, Harrison’s star has risen to stratospheric heights as she continues to dominate her opponents in spectacular fashion. The two-time Olympic judo gold medalist remains…
PFL women’s lightweight champ Kayla Harrison has revealed that she has no interest in pursuing the fame that comes with being one of MMA’s biggest female stars.
In the past year, Harrison’s star has risen to stratospheric heights as she continues to dominate her opponents in spectacular fashion. The two-time Olympic judo gold medalist remains unbeaten in 12 professional MMA fights and has been touted by many as a possible future women’s GOAT.
Perhaps validating Harrison’s star power more than anything were the many lucrative offers she received while testing free agency earlier this year. The 31-year-old was courted by both Bellator and the UFC, with the latter making a “historic offer” to secure her services. But Harrison ultimately chose to remain in the PFL, inking a multi-year deal that, according to her manager Ali Abdelaziz, makes her “the highest-paid female mixed martial artist ever.”
Kayla Harrison Says She Isn’t Interested In Fame
During her months testing the waters of free agency, Harrison has revealed that she had plenty of time to reflect on her career. Particularly, on the fame that has accompanied her PFL rise and which beckons in the future. Speaking to MMA Underground, the former judoka says she had an epiphany about what really motivates her to succeed as a fighter.
“I think one of the biggest realizations I had during free agency is that I don’t want to be famous, I just want to be the best,” said Harrison. “And I think that was something maybe I always questioned about myself, like; ‘Do you just want everyone to love you? Like, is this a popularity contest for you? Do you just want to be a star?’ But I don’t…I don’t, I just want to be the best, and If I never get all the other stuff, I’m OK with it.”
In March this year, the PFL pulled off what many did not expect. Kayla Harrison, arguably MMA’s biggest female star, was persuaded to remain with the promotion despite lucrative offers from both the UFC and Bellator. It was a watershed moment for the PFL, signaling its growing power within the MMA landscape and newfound ability…
In March this year, the PFL pulled off what many did not expect. Kayla Harrison, arguably MMA’s biggest female star, was persuaded to remain with the promotion despite lucrative offers from both the UFC and Bellator.
It was a watershed moment for the PFL, signaling its growing power within the MMA landscape and newfound ability to compete with the big boys. The promotion, which was established upon the ashes of the World Series of Fighting just five years ago, now appears to be on a growth trajectory that could see it soon surpass Bellator as the number two name in MMA.
But if you ask PFL CEO Peter Murray, it already has.
“By a number of metrics, we’re the number two,” he told The MMA Hour earlier this month.
Murray, a former high-ranking executive at the NFL and UFC owner Endeavour Group, believes the PFL’s combination of top talent and broadcast partnerships with the likes of ESPN now make it second only to the UFC.
“How I value it; number one, it’s the quality of the production,” he continued. “Two, caliber of fighters and exciting fights. Three, distribution.”
So, is Murray right in saying the PFL has now surpassed Bellator? And can it ever become as big as the UFC?
PFL CEO Peter Murray awards Kayla Harrison with $1 million for winning the 2021 PFL Women’s Lightweight Tournament (Cooper Neill / PFL)
PFL Fighters Might Be Better Than You Think
Talent development, says Murray, is one of the key focus areas for the PFL. And the promotion’s strategy is to continually inject new talent into its roster.
“What I love about our format, the product’s fresh every year. Forty-five percent of the roster, new fighters,” said Murray on The MMA Hour. “One of the key KPI’s for us is, a minimum of 25 to 30 percent of the roster, to ensure that their rankings are in the top 25 in the sport.”
Perhaps the most notable inflow of talent has been from the UFC. And despite many considering the PFL a step down in competition, it’s not uncommon to see UFC fighters beaten by the promotion’s mainstays.
Former UFC featherweight Jeremy Stephens became the latest this month, losing to Clay Collard in what was an absolute war that surely converted many UFC fans to the PFL. It must be noted, however, that the 35-year-old Stephens is hardly in his prime, having been cut by the UFC after losing five of his last six fights.
But then there’s Anthony Pettis, who after defeating Donald Cerrone and Alex Morono in the UFC, has lost both of his fights since joining the PFL in 2021. Rory MacDonald, both a Bellator and UFC alum, has been similarly tested in the PFL. Additionally, former UFC-turned-PFL heavyweights Fabricio Werdum and Klidson Abreu have found it harder than expected to get their first win in the promotion.
The PFL Is Making Moves To Expand Its Fanbase and Talent Pool
One of the key strengths of the PFL over Bellator, and one that Murray highlights regularly, is the promotion’s distribution through the world’s biggest broadcasters.
In 2019, the PFL followed in the UFC’s footsteps by becoming a broadcast partner of ESPN. But while it’s yet to stage pay-per-view events, Murray says the PFL’s championship event this year will “100 percent” be a pay-per-view event. And next year, he says the pay-per-view structure will expand.
“Then we’ll launch a pay-per-view division in 2023 and we’re working on those details right now, including [signing] some fighters who are in our view and [are of] pay-per-view stature,” Murray told The MMA Hour.
Challenger Series 3 at the Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, Friday, March 4, 2022. (Cooper Neill / PFL)
But perhaps the biggest potential game-changer for the PFL is Challenger Series—the promotion’s answer to the UFC’s Contender Series, which launched this year. Like it’s UFC counterpart, the Challenger Series gives up-and-coming fighters the chance to compete for a PFL contract.
This means they have the chance to potentially make $1 million within a year, thanks to the generous compensation offered by the PFL’s seasonal tournament structure. For many, this is a refreshing change from the remuneration practices of the UFC, who are notorious for paying their new talent relative peanuts.
The Challenger Series hasn’t all gone to plan, however. Earlier this month, it was flagged for suspicious betting activity after the PFL announced that the final event of the series would be broadcast live, but was later discovered to be pre-recorded.
The PFL Aims To Capitalize On MMA’s Growing Popularity
Despite the PFL still lacking several divisions offered by the UFC and Bellator, including middleweight and bantamweight, the promotion seems to have all the ingredients to challenge the big boys. And while Murray believes the PFL has already surpassed Bellator, challenging the UFC’s near-monopolistic hold on the MMA market is another thing entirely.
But Murray believes the PFL will only continue to grow and prosper alongside the UFC, thanks to the ever-expanding global MMA fanbase.
“Our thesis and why we launched the PFL four years ago; there’s room for more than one leader in the sport,” he told The MMA Hour. “600 million fans. This is Nielson data; three years ago, 400 million fans. So, in three years’ time, you have fan growth around the world of 200 million. So, it’s the third-largest fan base in all of sports, behind soccer and basketball, it’s the fastest-growing, it’s the youngest of all major sports in terms of the fans, and half of this fan base is not watching stick and ball sports.”
PHOTO: PFL
Murray says that the PFL’s goal isn’t necessarily to steal fans away from the UFC. By having a tournament-based structure, the promotion is simply offering them a different experience and more fights.
“So [MMA fans are] underserved; they want access to more premium MMA content and fights,” said Murray. “For the PFL, that is simply our business thesis, we’re fulfilling that demand with a quality product, with great fighters, and a differentiated experience.”
Bellator CEO Scott Coker is open to dealing with the PFL to negotiate a super fight between Kayla Harrison and Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino. Harrison has teased the idea of a matchup against Cyborg for a few years, dating back to just before the 2021 PFL season. She considered signing with Bellator during her recent free…
Bellator CEO Scott Coker is open to dealing with the PFL to negotiate a super fight between Kayla Harrison and Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino.
Harrison has teased the idea of a matchup against Cyborg for a few years, dating back to just before the 2021 PFL season. She considered signing with Bellator during her recent free agency before ultimately re-signing with the PFL.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Coker addressed the current state of affairs regarding a Harrison vs. Cyborg cross-promotional matchup happening.
“I’m not sure and, just to be honest, I have not heard from them at all. Nothing,” Coker said of the PFL and Harrison. “I know they have my number, so I don’t understand. They’re doing a lot of social [media] chattering and trying to create a story. But to me, Cris is the greatest female fighter of all-time, and she fights for Bellator. Kayla Harrison is a great, great fighter, she’s proven that. She could be one of the greats of all-time in the future as well, but she has to grow, and to fight somebody, and then keep growing. She’s going to have to put years into it.
“But to me, we’ll see, but I’m confused by what they say and what they want to do because I haven’t heard from anybody. If these social attacks are their way of doing business then I don’t do business like that. Pick up a phone, give me a call. That’s how we do business.”
The PFL plans to launch a ‘super-fight division’ as soon as next year, which could set the precedent for cross-promotion talks between the league and Bellator. Harrison will face Marina Mokhnatkina in her 2022 debut on May 6, while Cyborg will face Arlene Blencowe in her latest featherweight title defense this weekend at Bellator 279.
Coker is focused on Bellator’s return to Hawaii this weekend but seems open to making the Harrison/Cyborg fight happen if the PFL initiates contact with his promotion.
How do you think a Kayla Harrison vs. Cris Cyborg fight would play out?
Two-time PFL lightweight tournament, victor, Kayla Harrison has warned media and those who have campaigned for her to fight UFC bantamweight champion, Julianna Pena, that the Washington native would be “seriously hurt” if they competed against each other. Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo, boasts a 12–0 professional record, most recently defeated […]
