Kayla Harrison must officially weigh in at 135 pounds on the UFC scale this Friday to be eligible to challenge for the women`s bantamweight championship the following night.
The former face of PFL is set to fight for UFC gold for the first time, taking on Julianna Pena in the co-main event of UFC 316, which is held at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Harrison previously alleviated worries about her move to bantamweight by successfully making weight for her initial two UFC fights against Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira. However, those bouts allowed an extra pound as they were non-title fights. Now, needing to drop that additional pound, many believe this final weight cut could pose a significant challenge not only on the scale but potentially affect her performance in the cage.
Dismissing the speculation, Harrison stated, “I think it’s overblown.” She credited her stringent discipline and expert team. “I’ve been very disciplined, and I have an excellent team around me, and we have body fat check-ins and calorie check-ins and water… there’s a sweet science to it,” she explained. “And I’m right on track, and I trust God and I trust the process, and we’re all going to see [on Friday].”
Throughout most of her career, Harrison competed at lightweight, where she secured PFL season championships in 2019 and 2021. Only two of her professional fights before joining the UFC occurred outside of lightweight: a featherweight match at Invicta FC 43 and a 150-pound catchweight contest in her final PFL fight against Aspen Ladd.
Despite immense success in PFL, Harrison consistently expressed her ambition to contend for a UFC title. With the UFC dissolving the women`s featherweight division, the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist had to significantly alter her lifestyle to pursue this goal at bantamweight. Harrison views these current sacrifices as crucial for forging a lasting legacy in combat sports.
“I don’t believe in weight cutting, I don’t believe that this is the best decision for me, but I do believe that the sacrifice is worth the reward,” Harrison candidly shared. She admitted the process is difficult, saying, “It’s not ever something I wanted to do… It’s not fun, it’s not enjoyable, it’s not pleasant.” However, she emphasized her internal drive and aspiration: “I have an internal drive and a goal, and I want to see how high I can climb, and I do feel like it’s all part of my journey,”
Reflecting on her decision before joining the UFC, she recalled feeling uncertain. “Where was I going to go? What was I going to do? I was scared,” she stated, acknowledging she hadn`t made the required weight before. “I asked God to help me grow, and he put a hell of a challenge in front of me.” While always a disciplined athlete, she confessed past laxity regarding diet. “I’ve always been a disciplined athlete, but I’ve never been super disciplined about what I eat. It’s not a secret. I won the Olympics on Pizza Rolls and Diet Coke and Oreos.”
She attributed this past dietary approach partly to her upbringing, moving away from home at a young age. “I mean, I was 15 when I moved to Boston, and I was living in a judo house, and nutrition wasn’t as important, I would say, back then in those years as it is now.” Harrison now sees the rigorous weight cut as an opportunity for personal development. “So this is an opportunity for me to grow and be even more disciplined and be refined in the fire.”
Marcus Blakely