Kayla Harrison, a prominent figure in the Professional Fighters League (PFL), has signed with the UFC, a move that disappoints PFL co-founder Donn Davis, but he believes the promotion will continue to thrive without her.
Kayla Harrison, the once-unchallenged queen of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), has jumped ship to the UFC. PFL co-founder Donn Davis, while wishing she’d stayed, is confident the promotion will weather her departure just fine.
Harrison’s victory over Aspen Ladd at the PFL World Championships last November had Davis believing she still had a fight left with PFL. But then, plot twist, she signs with the UFC. She’s now set to square off against Holly Holm at UFC 300 on April 13. When quizzed about the sudden shift, Davis could only shrug.
“I don’t know,” he admitted on The MMA Hour. He’d spoken to Kayla, and they were on good terms. But as to why she left? He’s as clueless as the rest of us. Speculation isn’t his game, especially when it involves other people’s decisions.
Disappointment, though? That he can talk about. Unlike Dana White, who’s known for his negative comments about departing fighters, Davis just feels let down. In its six-year history, PFL had never lost a fighter. Even in its early, shaky years, no one jumped ship. Sure, they let some fighters go and brought in new ones, always striving to improve. But this? This was a first.
Ironically, PFL was in its strongest position ever. And the fights lined up for Harrison? They were arguably better than what she’d face at UFC. She could’ve taken on Cris Cyborg, the biggest fight in the women’s division. A career-defining, legacy-cementing fight. Then there was Larisa Pacheco, who’d already bested her once. So why leave? Davis can’t fathom it, and it stings.
Harrison had 16 bouts under the PFL banner (formerly World Series of Fighting) and one with Invicta. She won all but one, a decision loss to Pacheco at the PFL World Championships in November 2022. It seemed a showdown with Cyborg was on the cards after PFL absorbed Bellator last November. But now? That dream fight may never materialize.
Davis admits it’s a bummer. Not just the lost Cyborg fight, but any fight without Harrison in his promotion. But he’s not one to wallow. He believes PFL will continue to thrive without her.
“PFL has never been stronger,” he insists. With 80 fighters ranked in the top-25 and 33 in the top-15, they’re in a good place. He likens it to the UFC, which always seems to do fine, whether Connor’s fighting this year or not. Their brand, ratings, financials? They won’t feel the absence of Kayla.
But on a personal level? Davis admits it stings when any fighter leaves. He wishes Kayla was still with them. But hey, that’s the fight game for you.