Kayla Harrison will make her return on PFL’s championship crowning night – at featherweight.
Harrison (15-1) meets Julia Budd (17-6) in a non-tournament, 145-pound bout Nov. 24 at 2023 PFL Championships, which takes place at The Anthem in Washington D.C. and streams live on ESPN+ PPV, promotion officials announced Wednesday.
𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑬𝑵 𝑰𝑺 𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲 👑@KaylaH faces @JuliaBudd at the #PFLWorldChampionship on November 24th pic.twitter.com/8I8WhsWOD3
— PFL (@PFLMMA) September 13, 2023
Harrison will compete for the first time in 2023. In her most recent outing, the 2021 PFL lightweight champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka suffered her first-career loss to Larissa Pacheco by unanimous decision. That was in the 2022 PFL Championships. Now, Harrison will drop back down to featherweight, where she competed once in November 2020 and scored a second-round TKO of Courtney King at Invicta FC 43.
Harrison and Budd were scheduled to fight at 2022 PFL 6, but Budd withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Kaitlin Young. Harrison finished Young by TKO in Round 1.
Budd, a former Bellator featherweight champion, split her first four PFL appearances. In June, she snapped a two-fight losing skid with a unanimous decision win over Martina Jindrova.
With the addition, the 2023 PFL Championships lineup includes:
- Larissa Pacheco vs. Marina Mokhnatkina – women’s featherweight final
- Denis Goltsov vs. Renan Ferreira – heavyweight final
- Josh Silveira vs. Impa Kasanganay – light heavyweight final
- Jesus Pinedo vs. Gabriel Braga – featherweight final
- Julia Budd vs. Kayla Harrison
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Championships.
