Kayla Harrison is now a UFC fighter, according to Dana White.
In a bombshell announcement Tuesday on Instagram, White said the former Olympian and longtime PFL star Harrison (16-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has signed with the UFC and will make her promotional debut April 13 at UFC 300 against Holly Holm (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC).
The bout will be at bantamweight, according to White. That will mark a divisional debut for Harrison, who has solely competed in the 145-pound to 155-pound range.
Breaking News: UFC has signed Kayla Harrison!#UFC300 Holly Holm vs Kayla Harrison pic.twitter.com/jQeLItwQmO
— danawhite (@danawhite) January 24, 2024
Harrison, 33, most recently competed at 2023 PFL World Championship in November when she defeated Aspen Ladd by unanimous decision. The bout was her only in the calendar year, as Harrison opted out of the promotion’s season format. After the fight, Harrison indicated it was the final on her contract.
However, PFL founder Donn Davis as recently as Monday said he thought Harrison would give them at least one more bout (via “The MMA Hour“).
Harrison is a two-time PFL women’s lightweight champion. She won the 2019 and 2021 seasons respectively, before she was upset in her only career loss in the 2022 PFL season championship against Larissa Pacheco.
Holm, 42, is a former women’s bantamweight champion. She competed twice in 2023 going 1-0 with one no contest (due to Mayra Bueno Silva’s victory being overturned after a failed drug test for ADHD medication).
The latest UFC 300 card now includes:
- Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway – for BMF title
- Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan – for strawweight title
- Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan
- Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm
- Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic
- Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling
- Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt
- Bobby Green vs. Jim Miller
- Cody Brundage vs. Bo Nickal
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.
