Kayla Harrison, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, made her promotional debut at UFC 300 in April, securing a second-round submission victory over former bantamweight world champion Holly Holm. Despite her impressive performance, it appears that neither the current champ, Racquel Pennington, nor top-ranked contender Julianna Pena are willing to face her in the Octagon.
Ali Abdelaziz, Harrison’s manager and founder of Dominance MMA. In a recent appearance on Submission Radio. Abdelaziz expressed a bold suggestion:
“I think let’s make her fight some men,” Abdelaziz said. “And I believe she can win, beat all these guys I just mentioned. The UFC offered hundreds of thousands of dollars for a female fighter to accept a fight, and nobody wanted it. But they’re not going to have no choice. The UFC is going to have to strip them from the title or something. But listen, Hunter Campbell is working on this. They will get her a fight. But nobody wants to fight her”
Ali Abdelaziz says Kayla Harrison's next opponent should be Aljamain Sterling or Merab Dvalishvili and believes she can beat them:
"I think [Merab and Aljamain] is a very competitive fight [for Kayla]. It's not fair, because if none of these girls want to fight her let's fight… pic.twitter.com/VpNYMlaz86
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 10, 2024
Who is Kayla Harrison Going To Face Next?
He firmly believes that Kayla Harrison can beat all these guys. The UFC has reportedly offered hundreds of thousands of dollars for a female fighter to accept a fight against Harrison, but no one has stepped up.
Abdelaziz even proposed potential matchups for Kayla Harrison against male fighters. He mentioned former ex-titleholder Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili as competitive opponents. According to him, Harrison’s wrestling prowess could give her an edge against these men. After all, none of the female fighters seem eager to take her on, especially after witnessing her dominant victory over Holly Holm.
While the idea of a female fighter competing against men is unconventional, it highlights the scarcity of willing opponents for Kayla Harrison within her weight class. As the UFC works to find her a suitable fight, fans eagerly await her next challenge—whether it’s against women or men.
SHARE
