MIAMI – Kayla Harrison is still weighing her career options in free agency, but she’s starting to lean in a certain direction.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo and two-time PFL champion is currently one of the top free agents in combat sports after having fought out her contract with PFL in late 2021.
Harrison (12-0) and her management have since been negotiating with various top promotions. Harrison liked what the UFC offered her, she said, but feels timing plus other factors have a PFL return as the leading candidate for her acquisition.
“At this point, I got the offer from the UFC and I know what it is,” Harrison told MMA Junkie. “I think timing wise just because certain things are going to happen with Amanda (Nunes) and Julianna (Peña) etc. etc. You know, timing is kind of everything in the sport.
“PFL is definitely the frontrunner. Bellator we spoke to them and I don’t know the exact details of what was said between Ali (Abdelaziz) and them, but I know what I had proposed so that doesn’t look like it’s going to … we’ll see what happens.”
Harrison is regarded as one of the best female fighters today. There’s been plenty of talk by fans and pundits on a potential fight between her and Amanda Nunes, who is regarded as the greatest female MMA fighter of all time and was recently a two-division UFC champion.
When asked if Nunes’ recent loss to Peña at UFC 269 in December changed anything on the potential to sign with the UFC, Harrison admitted it did a bit, but not a ton, as her career is independent of Nunes’.
“Not really,” Harrison said. “I was bummed for my teammate. There was a viral video of my screaming ‘f*ck,’ but it was mostly because I was in shock and I was bummed for her.
But what Amanda does in her career has no barring on my career. I have a ton of respect for her as a fighter, as a mom, and a human being. But my journey is my journey. She knows I want to be the best. It changes things a little bit because now they’re going to have a rematch and that rematch is going to take a while for it to happen. So why would I run to the UFC and sit there and wait if that’s going to happen?”
