Tag: UFC women’s bantamweight

Kayla Harrison Discloses Hospitalization Due To Infection Prior to UFC 307

Kayla Harrison recently revealed that she faced a challenging health battle, as she was hospitalized for serious infections in the lead-up to her UFC 307 fight. Harrison secured a significant victory against Ketlen Vieira last weekend at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, as most had anticipated, the triumph was far from […]

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Kayla Harrison recently revealed that she faced a challenging health battle, as she was hospitalized for serious infections in the lead-up to her UFC 307 fight.

Harrison secured a significant victory against Ketlen Vieira last weekend at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, as most had anticipated, the triumph was far from straightforward for the two-time Olympic gold medalist, as “Fenomeno” tested her resilience and caused a cut on her forehead during the intense second round.

The former PFL lightweight champion displayed her superiority against Vieira, growing stronger as the fight unfolded and eventually securing a unanimous decision win. However, this marked the first time in her MMA career that the 34-year-old Ohio native truly faced adversity inside the cage.

It has now come to light that Harrison’s performance may have been compromised due to her hospitalization just a week before the fight…

Harrison Shares She Was Taking Antibiotics Ahead Of UFC 307

During a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, Harrison disclosed that she battled a serious infection that required her to take antibiotics leading up to her fight at UFC 307, which ultimately resulted in her hospitalization.

“I don’t really like to make excuses,” Harrison said. “I had to go to the hospital last week. There was blood in my urine. I had a really bad infection that started spreading. I was on antibiotics. I had blood in my urine. There was a bunch of stuff going on, but it’s not an excuse. I have to be the best in the world on my worst day.”

Harrison further shared that she gained valuable insights about herself and recognized aspects she can incorporate into her training for future fights.

“Some of the decisions I made it’s going to be good for me. I ate too much I think after I weighed in. I was just so hungry; I think I overdid it. I felt kind of sick on Saturday because I ate too much. I need to do a better job of staying disciplined even after I weigh in. I need to follow the game plan. There’s a lot of stuff I can improve on.”

Harrison has triumphed in both of her Octagon appearances and is actively campaigning for a title shot. In her promotional debut at UFC 300 this past April, she secured a unanimous decision victory in the second round against former champion Holly Holm.

Continue Reading Kayla Harrison Discloses Hospitalization Due To Infection Prior to UFC 307 at MMA News.

UFC Superstar Kayla Harrison On The Importance Of Being A Role Model: ‘You’ll Never See Me With DUIs Or Scandals…’

Kayla Harrison recently shared her thoughts on the crucial role of being a positive influence, particularly for the younger generation. She stands as a beacon of mastery in women’s combat sports. Her unmatched accomplishments speak volumes, positioning her as the very definition of greatness. Harrison began her judo career in 2008, swiftly dominating her competition […]

Continue Reading UFC Superstar Kayla Harrison On The Importance Of Being A Role Model: ‘You’ll Never See Me With DUIs Or Scandals…’ at MMA News.

Kayla Harrison recently shared her thoughts on the crucial role of being a positive influence, particularly for the younger generation. She stands as a beacon of mastery in women’s combat sports. Her unmatched accomplishments speak volumes, positioning her as the very definition of greatness.

Harrison began her judo career in 2008, swiftly dominating her competition at both the Junior and World Judo Championships with an unstoppable streak. She then carried that momentum into the 2012 London Olympics, where she etched her name in history by securing the United States’ first-ever Olympic gold medal in judo.

Harrison replicated her Olympic triumph at the 2016 Rio Games, claiming her second gold medal in the 78 kg division. Following this historic achievement, the 34-year-old Ohio native set her sights on the world of MMA. She made her debut under the PFL banner in July 2018, and within just two years, she ascended to the top, capturing the promotion’s women’s lightweight championship.

After an impressive 16-1 run in the PFL, Harrison made her long-awaited UFC debut in spectacular fashion, dismantling former champion Holly Holm at UFC 300 this past April – that too in bantamweight, a weight class she had never previously competed in.

Harrison’s career has been marked by nothing but success, and she remains focused on staying above the fray in her quest to be a shining example for others to follow.

Harrison On Being Role Model: ‘I Take It Very Seriously’

During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Harrison was asked about leveraging her popularity to inspire young girls to pursue MMA. The former PFL lightweight champion expressed that being a role model is a responsibility she takes to heart, and it remains one of her ongoing goals.

“My goal is always to be the light in the world that I want to see,” Harrison said. “I take being a role model very seriously. I consider it an honor and a responsibility.”

She emphasized that this is why she makes a conscious effort to avoid any controversy, ensuring that kids can look up to her as a positive example.

“That’s why, hopefully, knock on wood; as long as I don’t have a nervous breakdown, you’ll never see me with DUIs or scandals or anything like that because of how I carry myself. I want little girls and boys all over the world to know that if you work hard, surround yourself with people who believe in you and believe in yourself; there’s nothing you can’t accomplish.”

Harrison is preparing for her second appearance in the Octagon, where she’ll face Ketlen Vieira in a pivotal clash at UFC 307 that could serve as a bantamweight title eliminator. The pay-per-view event is set to take place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 5.

Continue Reading UFC Superstar Kayla Harrison On The Importance Of Being A Role Model: ‘You’ll Never See Me With DUIs Or Scandals…’ at MMA News.

Holly Holm’s New Ranking Shows Lack of Depth in Women’s MMA

Holly Holm is back in title contention for the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division after knocking out Bethe Correia with a brutal head kick at last weekend’s (Sat., June 17, 2017) UFC Fight Night 111 from Singapore. With the win, Holm moved up to number two in the rankings even though she had not won a fight since […]

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Holly Holm is back in title contention for the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division after knocking out Bethe Correia with a brutal head kick at last weekend’s (Sat., June 17, 2017) UFC Fight Night 111 from Singapore.

With the win, Holm moved up to number two in the rankings even though she had not won a fight since November 2015 when she used the same left high kick to finish Ronda Rousey to win the title and shock the world in the main event of the now-historic UFC 193.

After that, Holm (11-3) lost three consecutive times to the likes of Miesha Tate, Valentina Shevchenko and Germaine de Randamie, and has not backflipped inside the octagon for almost two years.

Before Saturday’s card, Holm hadn’t fought at 135 pounds since July 23, 2016. She was outclassed by number one-ranked Shevchenko and then went on to lose a decision for the women’s featherweight strap to de Randamie.

Holm’s rise in the rankings from number five to number two shows a lack of depth in the women’s bantamweight division, since she just knocked out the previous number 11 and has not been active in the weight class. With Rousey absent for what seems like will be forever and Nunes set to face a woman she barely beat at UFC 196 last year, there just isn’t much in terms of actual legitimate title contenders in the women’s bantamweight division, and we all know the mess that is the newly-instated featherweight division.

Consensus uncrowned champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino will face Invicta FC featherweight champion Megan Anderson for the now-vacant belt in the co-main event of July 29’s UFC 214, but after that, there aren’t any fighters, let alone serious threats to the belt, except for maybe Holm because she’s fought in the division before.

Women’s strawweight isn’t much better, with Joanna Jedrzejczyk looking like a dominant champion who has already beaten the next-best fighter, Claudia Gadelha, twice. Rose Namajunas is lined up as the next title contender, but most don’t give “Thug” much of a chance against arguably the top pound-for-pound female fighter in the sport.

Check out the latest rankings report courtesy of the UFC:

She jumped over Raquel Pennington, Ronda Rousey and Julianna Peña. It makes sense to have Holm over Rousey, but Pennington beat Tate, the woman who took Holm’s belt, so why would Pennington be lower than Holm?

As far as Peña goes, she just lost to Shevchenko in January. Even though Holm has faced tougher competition overall, Peña’s last victory was against number 7-ranked Cat Zingano, and deserves to be higher than Holm.

Regardless, a possible stylistic match-up between Holm and Nunes would make for an excellent fight, and if Nunes can get past Shevchenko on UFC 213, Holm might challenge for the belt and return to her former glory.

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Miesha Tate Won’t Wait Around For Ronda Rousey To Return

Miesha Tate knows that as the new UFC women’s bantamweight champion, a third match-up with her longtime rival and former champion Ronda Rousey is most likely an inevitability. However, after submitting Holly Holm in the co-main event of March 5’s UFC 196, Tate is looking to stay active, and she’s not exactly sure Rousey has

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Miesha Tate knows that as the new UFC women’s bantamweight champion, a third match-up with her longtime rival and former champion Ronda Rousey is most likely an inevitability.

However, after submitting Holly Holm in the co-main event of March 5’s UFC 196, Tate is looking to stay active, and she’s not exactly sure Rousey has the same plan based on her devastating knockout loss to Holm last November.

Speaking during a media scrum in Brisbane, Australia, for this weekend’s UFC Fight Night 85, Tate revealed that she would rather fight at least one more time before Rousey conceivably returns in October or November, and it may even be as soon as July’s blockbuster UFC 200 (quotes via FOX Sports):

“That is a long time to wait. I have had eight months off before. Ideally I want to fight before then. I have been tossing around the idea if possible of fighting at UFC 200. I don’t know what the UFC has in mind for that. It may not be realistic.”

As for just whom ‘Cupcake’ might face next, she said she’s already been targeted by the entire top half of the division, and that understandably includes a request for a rematch from Holm. But with top-ranked contenders like Amanda Nunes and a returning Cat Zingano, who toppled Tate via TKO in their first respective UFC bout in April 2013, the next women’s 135-pound title fight is still very much unknown.

No matter whom it is, however, Tate said she is ready and will stay ready:

“I have been called out by everyone who is in the top six. The champion should take on whoever they say is next and whoever has earned that position. I don’t really care. They are all gunning for me and are all dangerous. My job as a champion is to stay active. I don’t want to be the one to say who fights who. I don’t want to be fixated on one person.”

Tate seems to be carrying the mindset of a true champion; one that knows her division is suddenly wide-open after being dominated for so long by a former champion who may or may not be motivated to even participate in one more UFC fight.

And even though she may not be considered the true champ by some until she finally defeats Rousey, the fact is right now it’s Tate who is motivated to take on any and all top-ranked female bantamweights in the world.

You can watch her full interview courtesy of Submission Radio right here:

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