Two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison is used to winning, but admits her first taste of championship gold as a mixed martial artist will be every bit as sweet as her successes on the Olympic judo mat.
Speaking at the pre-fight press conference ahead of her lightweight title bout with Larissa Pacheco at the 2019 PFL Championship in New York, a beaming Harrison explained how much she is enjoying her new career after transitioning from Olympic judoka to professional mixed martial artist.
“Are you kidding me? I wake up every day and can’t believe that this is my life,” she said. “I’m living my best life – Cardi B and I, we know what’s up! I’m very blessed and truly humbled that people want to hear what I have to say, and I’m going to do the very best that I can to be a good role model, to be a great fighter – one of the greatest fighters ever – and to do it my way.”
Harrison, who said she wants to “make history,” and “shatter ceilings” as she brings another championship belt back to American Top Team, said the PFL’s tournament structure is tailor-made for someone with her competition experience.
“It’s totally different (competing in MMA compared to judo). I think you have to be a bit crazy to do both, right? You train four years for one day, and that’s really what it’s like here for this, as well. It translates good for me, because I’m used to being in a tournament system, I’m used to fighting a lot, I’m used to having a goal at the end of the tunnel, and using my skill to create my own destiny.
“I love it here – I feel like the PFL is going to be my home for a long, long time. Winning two gold medals and being the first ever to do it for your country is kinda like: ‘Can you really top that?’ But I love the taste of gold. I haven’t touched it since 2016 and this belt’s going to be really special to me.”
Harrison went the distance with Pacheco in their first meeting back at the first PFL event of the 2019 season, and admitted she underestimated the Brazilian. But she also had an ominous warning for her opponent ahead of their rematch as she declared her intention to deliver a statement performance at the Hulu Theater on Dec. 31.
“I would definitely say I didn’t take Larissa as seriously as I should have,” she said. “She’s an amazing fighter, she’s been fighting much longer than me, since she was just a kid. She’s a very game opponent, she’s good everywhere.
“But the strides that I’ve made since May – the ground that I’ve covered – it’s exponential. You can’t stop me. You know what I’m gonna do (and) you can try and stop it, but there’s not going to be any stopping me. And three rounds was bad for her – imagine five rounds of this.”
Harrison’s bout with Pacheco headlines a seven-fight card at the Hulu Theater in New York on Dec. 31. In addition to their women’s lightweight title fight, the card will also see five PFL’s men’s titles decided, with returning champions Natan Schulte and Lance Palmer bidding to become successive two-time season champions at lightweight and featherweight respectively.
PFL Finals 2019: Confirmed fight card
- Kayla Harrison vs. Larissa Pacheco – for women’s lightweight title
- Ray Cooper III vs. David Michaud – for welterweight title
- Ali Isaev vs. Jared Rosholt – for heavyweight title
- Champion Natan Schulte vs. Loik Radzhabov – for lightweight title
- Champion Lance Palmer vs. Alex Gilpin – for featherweight title
- Jordan Johnson vs. Emiliano Sordi – for light heavyweight title
- Brendan Loughnane vs. David Valente
Kayla Harrison channeling her inner Cardi B ahead of PFL Championship: 'I'm living my best life'