Kayla Harrison is ready to write her name into the history books of women’s MMA.
UFC bantamweight champion Harrison (19-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is already one of the most decorated female athletes in combat sports history, having won Olympic gold medals in judo in 2012 and 2016.
After transitioning to mixed martial arts, Harrison captured the PFL lightweight world tournament titles in 2019 and 2021.
She submitted Julianna Peña at UFC 316 last June to fulfill her dream of becoming a UFC champion. Now, Harrison is preparing to face former training partner Amanda Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 324 later this month in a fight that could determine who is the greatest female fighter in UFC history.
"I'm really excited because I feel like this fight is a fight we've all been speculating and talking about for a long time," Harrison told Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie. "I do believe Amanda was the greatest female fighter on the planet. I believe I'm the best in the world, and if you want to be the best in the world, you've got to go beat whoever the best in the world is right now. I'm excited for it. It's just all coming together perfectly.”
Harrison has been flawless during her UFC tenure to date, earning victories over Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira in 2024 to secure her title shot. The dominant fashion in which she dismantled Peña last June further cemented her status as the greatest active fighter in the division.
Her biggest challenge since signing with the UFC has not been her opponents, but the task of making the 135-pound limit. Harrison competed primarily at 155 pounds before joining the UFC, and she has acknowledged that making bantamweight is no easy feat.
"It's not getting easier. That's for sure. It's getting harder. But we can do hard things. Every time I prepare for a fight, every time I go through this process, every time I face another big challenge, it just molds me into a more evolved version of myself. It's all part of the journey and I'm enjoying every part of it."
