Kayla Harrison’s hand was raised in her first 15 MMA bouts. That followed her sensational run in judo, where she attained two Olympic gold medals. Even with all that success behind her, Harrison believes that her absolute best is still ahead of her.
A two-time PFL women’s lightweight champion, Harrison (15–1) suffered her first defeat in November against Larissa Pacheco. That journey into such foreign terrain—when it comes to competition, Harrison was a complete stranger to loss—has been more beneficial than she ever envisioned.
“The loss was like a spiritual awakening,” says Harrison. “For me, for the longest time, it was either I’d become the best of all time or die from the shame of failing. I would tell myself, if I didn’t win, I was worthless. I was fighting to earn love. That’s how I’ve felt since I was a child. If I wanted respect, then I needed to win. If I wanted love, then I had to win.”
