For her first fight for the UFC title, Kayla Harrison is on weight.
In the main event of Saturday night’s UFC 316 card in Newark, New Jersey, Harrison, a former Olympic gold medallist in judo, will compete against Julianna Peña for the bantamweight title. When she weighed in on Friday morning, she was the first person in her career to reach the 135-pound limit for bantamweight title fights.
She appeared quite exhausted on the scale, and it’s undeniable that the cut had a significant negative physical impact on her, but gaining weight was still a significant accomplishment.
Harrison responded to the milestone on Instagram shortly after leaving the scale.
“135,” she wrote in the caption for her post. “This number represents more than a successful weight cut, it’s my testimony.”
“The early mornings. The late nights. The tears. The discipline when no one was watching. The quiet faith that carried me when I was tired and overwhelmed.”
She concluded her post with a bible verse.
At UFC 316, will Kayla Harrison take home the gold?
The major concern now is how Harrison’s drastic weight loss to 135 pounds would impact her in the Octagon after she made weight for UFC 316. It might be a factor, but it’s not a given.
She will be a heavy favorite to win when she competes in the Octagon. That’s because she’s had such amazing success in MMA so far. As a pro, Harrison is 18-1. Her only defeat came in 2022 when she lost to Larissa Pacheco, a woman she had previously defeated twice.
Two PFL title victories at lightweight (155 pounds) are among her resume’s highlights. She is also 2-0 in the UFC, having defeated longtime opponent Ketlen Vieira by decision and by submission against former bantamweight champion Holly Holm.
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