Two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison has successfully made weight for her bantamweight debut against Holly Holm at UFC 300, marking her first professional fight below 145 pounds.
Kayla Harrison, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time PFL lightweight champion, has officially entered the UFC bantamweight. She weighed in at 136 pounds on Friday, marking her successful transition. Her fight against Holly Holm at UFC 300 will be her bantamweight debut.
Previously, Harrison never fought professionally below 145 pounds. She even competed in judo at 171 pounds during her two Olympic runs. So, her weight cut was a big mystery this week. She hit her mark, though. And then, she shared how tough it was to drop to bantamweight.
Harrison said, “It was better than I thought, to be honest.” She was expecting weeks of misery. But, she found that listening to her nutritionist and eating clean made a difference. She felt mentally better and properly fueled.
She added, “My training camp, this has been the best I’ve felt of any camp.” She wasn’t sure if it was her energy levels or her attitude of gratitude. But, everyone played a big part in it. The last pound was the hardest, she admitted. It meant losing sleep and feeling uncomfortable in her body.
On Friday morning, before UFC 300’s official weigh-ins, Harrison shed that final pound. Her fight against Holm is a non-title bout, so she had a one-pound allowance. For any championship bout, she’d need to hit 135 pounds or below. But she’s not worried. She sees the process as making her a better athlete.
Harrison, 33, said, “It feels great [to be in UFC].” She admitted to moments of frustration and doubt. She wasn’t sure if fighting in the UFC was in the cards for her. The drop to 135 was a big hurdle. She had to accept that she needed to be all in and make sacrifices.
She said, “This [experience] has built me and shaped me and molded me into an even more evolved, higher-operating version of myself.” The sacrifice and stress of cutting weight, sitting in a sauna three times a week, doing extra cardio, and being hungry made her more violent. And she’s ready.
Harrison’s fight against Holm is crucial. The women’s bantamweight division is in a state of flux since Amanda Nunes retired in 2023. Raquel Pennington recently won the belt, and Julianna Peña is a top contender. But, the division needs more fighters. Harrison’s successful debut could bring new life to the weight class.
Harrison said, “I’ve just never really played easy or played it safe.” She’s had a successful MMA career and is financially secure. She’s a world champion and a two-time Olympic champion. She’s won every judo tournament there is. But her goal in starting MMA was to be a UFC champion. And she still wants that. She said, “I know I’m going to be UFC champion.”