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The UFC has inked a deal with Kayla Harrison and is set to debut her against Holly Holm at UFC 300
After a prolonged period of anticipation, Kayla Harrison has officially joined the UFC. The UFC has inked a deal with the Olympic gold medalist, who transitioned from the Professional Fighters League. Her debut is set against Holly Holm at UFC 300 on April 13, as revealed by Dana White on Tuesday.
After an extensive wait, Kayla Harrison, renowned as one of the most prominent female mixed martial artists outside of the UFC, has officially joined the organization. As the sole American to secure Olympic gold medals in judo at 78 kg in 2012 and 2016, she transitioned to the professional scene after her 2016 title and quickly became a major attraction in the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
Harrison maintained an impressive 15-fight unbeaten streak with PFL, winning two lightweight titles and experiencing her first professional loss against Larissa Pacheco in the 2022 lightweight title fight. In 2023, she fought only once, defeating former UFC fighter Aspen Ladd in a catchweight bout.
Her UFC debut will mark a move down to bantamweight, a necessity following the apparent discontinuation of the women’s featherweight division after Amanda Nunes’ retirement. Despite having fought once at featherweight, defeating Courtney King, Harrison will now face Holly Holm at bantamweight.
The bout with Holm holds significance in the bantamweight division, especially with Raquel Pennington recently securing the belt by defeating Mayra Bueno Silva. While Julianna Peña appears to be the next challenger for Pennington, a victory against Holm could position Harrison favorably for a title shot in the future.
The addition of Harrison to the UFC 300 card adds further excitement to an already stacked lineup in Las Vegas, featuring notable matchups such as Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan, Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan, Jiří Procházka vs. Aleksandar Rakić, Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt, Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling, Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage, and Jim Miller vs. Bobby Green. The card boasts nine current or former UFC titleholders, along with rising star Bo Nickal and the promotion’s all-time wins leader, Jim Miller. Zhang Weili defends her belt against
