Kayla Harrison may not be fighting UFC women’s bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington at UFC 307, but it seems a war of words has already started up between her and the former PFL champ.
Harrison, who won judo gold twice for Team USA before turning to professional MMA in 2018, captured PFL championships twice at 155 pounds before moving to the UFC, dropping 20 pounds and dominating former champ Holly Holm on her Octagon debut at UFC 300.
Now she’s set to face Brazilian contender Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307, on the same card as 135-pound champ Pennington, who faces Julianna Pena in the co-main event in Salt Lake City.
With two high-profile bantamweight matchups on the same card, it was inevitable that Pennington would be asked about Harrison, who is already widely considered to be the likely next challenger for the title after this weekend. But, in a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Pennington had suggested that Harrison was cutting the line for a title shot based on her hype.
In conversation with Submission Radio, Harrison unsurprisingly took issue with those remarks, and pointed out that her combat sports credentials stand up against anyone she’ll face at 135 pounds in the UFC.
“I just think it’s bulls**t,” she said.
“Like it would be one thing if I was hyped and I didn’t have the accolades to back it up. But I’m a two time Olympic champion. I’m 17-1 in my MMA career. I’m a two-time world champion in the PFL. I’ve proven myself over and over again.
“And, talking about working so hard? Like, dude! I started judo when I was six years old. I’ve been busting my ass since first grade. And I think that I’m just going to keep being so good that they can’t ignore me.
“Of course she’s going to say that – I wouldn’t want to fight me either. I’d be scared s**tless. I’d take the money and run. But I’m here, and my time is coming.”
Harrison also had words for Henry Cejudo, who suggested that Harrison may have some problems against BJJ black belt Vieira on the ground. It’s fair to say the former two-time Olympic judo champ has a different view.
“I mean, I think that I’m better everywhere,” she stated.
“I think that I’m a well-rounded mixed martial artist. Now, I’m no longer faking it till I make it. I’m here. I’m seasoned. I think that my striking is better. I think I’m faster. I think I’m stronger.
“I don’t know why the hell they’re talking about a judo black belt making a difference. There are levels. And that would be like me telling Henry ‘Oh, this kid wrestled varsity in high school, so he’s going to probably, really, you’re going to struggle. You’re going to struggle to take him down.’ Like, benign, asinine. So that’s all right, I look forward to showing once again why Henry is a jealous little man.”
And when asked about the possibility of former two-division champion Amanda Nunes returning to the UFC to challenge for her old bantamweight title again, Harrison said she hoped that she’d get her shot at the gold first.
“I hope not. I mean, honestly, like, I just don’t think she’ll ever fight me,” she said.
“Her cutting the line, beating up Pena again and taking another big payday and then leaving like that would really piss me off. So I hope that I fight for the title. And then if she wants to come (and) cut the line, she’s more than welcome.”
