Kayla Harrison is relishing the chance of competing at the PFL playoffs in London 10 years after winning her first Olympic gold medal.
Harrison, who fights Kaitlyn Young at PFL 6 tonight, is one win away from securing herself a shot on the promotion's inaugural London card this August. The event will be the second of two playoffs to take place in the UK, with the first being in Cardiff on August 13.
The London event comes a decade after a 22-year-old Harrison won a gold medal in judo at the 2012 Olympic Games. It was the first of two gold medals for Harrison in the sport, winning the same medal four years later at Rio 2016.
"I'm super jacked up about it," Harrison said about the possibility of returning to London. "I realised that I won my first gold medal on August 2nd 2012 and I'm going to fight here [London] in the playoffs on August 20th 2022. Almost to the date 10 years, it's going to be poetic. I'm so jacked about it, but one fight at a time obviously.
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Harrison already has two PFL titles under her belt, winning the 2019 and 2021 seasons. The former Olympic judoka was in talks with other promotions when her PFL contract ran out after last season, but Harrison re-signed with the promotion in March as she looks to defend her 155lb title this year by claiming a third $1million prize.
A potential return to London is something that Harrison feels is meant to be. Harrison compared the situation to the first opponent she ever faced in judo, French champion Audrey Tcheumeo, who also ended up being the last opponent she faced when she won her second gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games.
"Sometimes I can't even believe how poetic and purposeful my life is. There are so many moments where I'm like wow, that's for a reason. For example, my first International tournament I won was the junior worlds and I fought Audrey Tcheumeo in the finals," she added.
"The very last tournament I won was the 2016 Olympic Games and I fought the same French girl in the finals. There are certain things where I'm just like 'this is meant to be' and this is one of those things. I'm going to be fighting in the UK 10 years after I won my first Olympic gold medal, it's going to be electric."
