By early 2016, Kayla Harrison already knew her judo career would be ending later that year at the Summer Olympics in Brazil. Four years earlier, she had become the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport. And she was picked by many to repeat as champion in the 78-kg (172-pound) weight category.
Still, regardless of the outcome at the Olympics, Harrison was ready to call it quits. She had been training in judo for 20 years and didn’t find much pleasure doing so anymore.
“I wasn’t learning anything new,” Harrison said. “I wasn’t changing anything. I was just perfecting the same things over and over and over again.”
She added: “I was so burned out. I was so over it.”
Harrison concluded her judo career with the best possible outcome, as she won another gold medal. Afterwards, she hinted at the next stage of her athletic pursuits, indicating that UFC officials should have been watching her dominant performance.
Harrison did end up pursuing MMA, following in the footsteps of her former judo teammate, Ronda Rousey, who was among UFC’s biggest stars. But instead of signing with UFC, Harrison inked a deal with the World Series of Fighting as a commentator and brand ambassador. She was tasked with promoting the fledgling organization, and she also had the option to compete.
Harrison made her in-ring debut in June 2018 for the Professional Fighters League, or PFL, the successor to World Series of Fighting when new ownership took over. That night, she forced her opponent to submit in the first round, and she’s never looked back.
On New Year’s Eve, Harrison will have her biggest bout yet when she faces Larissa Pacheco of Brazil in the PFL championship at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. The fight, along with the finals of the five men’s weight classes, will be broadcast on ESPN2. The winners will each earn $1 million. Harrison, who has won all six of her fights in her short career, is the event’s headliner.
“She’s a game-changing fighter in the sport of MMA,” said PFL chief executive Peter Murray, who joined the company last year after stints as an executive at Under Armour and the NFL. “She continues to grow her profile in the sport.”
It didn’t take long for Harrison to become acclimated to MMA. In 2017, when she decided she wanted to compete instead of broadcast, she began working with Mike Brown, a former UFC fighter who retired in 2013. Brown was coaching with American Top Team, a famous MMA gym in Coconut Creek, Fla., about 20 miles north of Fort Lauderdale.
“I knew she was an elite combat sports athlete with great potential,” said Brown, who also coaches UFC stalwarts such as Jorge Masvidal, Amanda Nunes and Dustin Poirier. “You keep your eye on the outliers in all the combat sports besides MMA and you dream about what their potential could be like if the make the cross-over.”
Harrison flashed that potential early on, and she’s continued to improve and work on her weaknesses. She trains with Brown six days per week, only taking Sundays off. Brown said Harrison was always strong taking down her opponents and controlling them once they were on the mat. But she’s gotten better at striking, wrestling and submission grappling.
Of Harrison’s six fights so far, she has won three via submissions and two by technical knockouts. The only exception was in May against Pacheco, whom she defeated via unanimous decision. Harrison won easily on all three judges’ cards (two by 30-27 and one by 30-25), yet she wasn’t satisfied with her performance, which didn’t surprise Brown.
“She puts a lot of pressure on herself, sometimes I think almost too much pressure,” Brown said. “Probably half of the fights, she was upset with. Even in a near flawless victory, if she didn’t do everything she wanted to do, she’s not happy with it.”
Harrison is preparing as hard as ever for her rematch with Pacheco, who is 13-3 in her career. Whereas the PFL fights are normally three rounds apiece, the championship bouts are five rounds. But Harrison doesn’t expect it to go the distance.
“I’m going to be in ridiculous shape.” Harrison said. “I’m going to instill my will until I break her.”
Harrison has become the PFL’s biggest draw, and she’s received financial rewards. She was the highest-paid fighter on a PFL playoff card in October, earning $124,850, more than $25,000 more than anyone else made, according to MMA Fighting. She got $100,000 just to show up and an additional $25,000 for her first-round submission victory. She was docked $150 in licensing fees, which is customary.
Harrison recently signed a contract extension that will keep her with PFL next year. Although the PFL is considered the minor leagues compared with the UFC, Harrison has enjoyed her time with the organization, which has a different format than other MMA leagues. The PFL holds several regular season events during which fighters compete, and the top ones advance to the playoffs. The winners advance to the championship bouts, which take place on New Year’s Eve.
And while the UFC has four women’s weight classes, the heaviest (featherweight) only goes up to a maximum of 145 pounds. The PFL’s women’s weight division, meanwhile, is up to 155 pounds, which suits Harrison well.
“I feel like I’m the face of the PFL,” Harrison said. “I feel like I’m a superstar. They take really good care of me.”
She added: “They’ve believed in me since Day One. I know that eventually I may have to go somewhere else, but if I stay with the PFL for my entire career, I’ll be a happy camper.”
