MMA's Next Big Thing: 'Baddest Woman on the Planet'

MMA superstar Kayla Harrison dominated her opponent at PFL 6 on Friday night on ESPN2, and now the 10-0 women’s lightweight champion is on her way to capturing gold again for the second straight year in the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Harrison, 30, defeated Cindy Dandois, 36, by first-round submission in the main event of PFL 6 at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. If you missed her arm-snatching win, you can watch it below.

It was another dominant victory for one of the most dynamic fighters in the world today. Harrison proved once again that she’s MMA’s next big thing. Actually, she might already be MMA’s big thing right now.

The submission win vaulted Harrison into the PFL’s 2021 playoffs, and she fully expects to wreck shop there just like she did last year.

Harrison returns to action on August 27.

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Sky’s the Limit for PFL Champ Harrison

Harrison is one of the hottest stars in the sport. She’s already being compared to the likes of former crossover megastar Ronda Rousey, and she’s being hailed by some as the heir apparent to current UFC superstar Amanda Nunes to be the greatest women’s MMA fighter in history.

Those things are great, but Harrison has also become the Conor McGregor of women’s MMA.

Because as destructive as Harrison has looked inside the cage in recent fights, she’s been even better on the mic.

Judging by the way she stuck out her tongue and shook her head at the post-fight press conference at the idea of being compared to the likes of WWE superstars, she might not actually love being compared to heels in the fight world.

But her sick mic skills are something that should only help her MMA career grow by leaps and bound and even more than it already would have based on her talent and skills alone.

That’s the same thing that helped UFC’s McGregor become the most popular and celebrated MMA fighter on the planet.

Heck, Floyd Mayweather Jr. did something similar with his “Money” persona to alter the course of his career forever, and arguably the most popular fighter across all combat sports of all-time Muhammad Ali did the same during his amazing boxing career, too.

Mic skills matter way more than people usually want to admit.

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Harrison Believes She’s ‘Baddest Woman on the Planet’

Like McGregor, Mayweather, and Ali, Harrison seems to have the athletic prowess to wreck her competition. That’s incredibly important.

But with apologies to those reading that are sure to disagree, the main thing that took those great fighters from popular in their own sports to crossover successes among mainstream sports fans was each man’s ability to connect with people through the things he said and did.

In her own way, Harrison is doing that now and better than ever.

I mean, did you see her latest post-fight interview with PFL’s Sean McConnell? Is there a better post-fight interview in MMA today?

She said, “I’m so far ahead of all these girls, and it’s because since I was eight years old, I’ve been dropping people on their heads…I conquered the judo world, which no American was ever able to do, and now I’m here to conquer the MMA world. This is a game of thrones and I’m going to be the queen.”

After her win at PFL 6 at the post-fight press conference, Harrison explained more of her new demeanor.

“I guess I just kind of got tired of being Miss Congeniality. You know, I’ve done things my way for a long time, and I’ve been proper and quiet and nice and friendly and sweet, and I am all of those things, but I’m also, quite frankly, I’m a mom now, and I’m exhausted all the time. I have no time for B.S. anymore, so I’m just going to say what I think,” Harrison said.

And what does Harrison think? Well, she said it.

“I believe I’m going to show the world that I’m the baddest woman on the planet.”

Twitter: @Kelsey_McCarson

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