UFC president Dana White recently dismissed Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison, downplaying her MMA prowess.
Kayla Harrison might have just collected her second $1 million check from the Professional Fighters League, but she shouldn’t be considered one of the female MMA greats, according to the UFC president.
GettyJudoka Kayla Harrison poses for a photo with her Olympic gold medal in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
During UFC 268 fight week, White spoke with Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole and briefly touched on Harrison being known as one of the best female fighters on the planet.
“Kayla Harrison hasn’t fought anybody yet,” White said via MMA Junkie. “She hasn’t fought anybody.”
Harrison, who has two gold medals in judo, is 12-0 as a professional MMA combatant. She’s fought her whole career in PFL, but she became a free agent after winning the 2021 PFL Women’s Lightweight Tournament last month.
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Amanda Nunes Could Potentially Kill Harrison’s Prior Opponents in a Fight, White Said
GettyAmanda Nunes and several other champs return to action in 2021.
There has been a lot of talk lately in the MMA community about the possibility of the UFC signing Harrison. And especially pitting her against consensus greatest female fighter of all time, UFC women’s featherweight and bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes.
Harrison has never stepped inside an MMA cage to fight an opponent near the caliber of “The Lioness.” And the UFC president went as far as to say that there could be “the first death in MMA” if Nunes fought any of Harrison’s prior opponents.
“Let me put Amanda Nunes in with the girls that (Harrison has) fought, it might be the first death in MMA. OK?” White continued. “And listen, I like her. I got nothing against her. But come on, let’s be honest. Let’s be honest.”
At this time, it’s unclear where Harrison will land, whether it be in the UFC, back to PFL, or to another promotion, like Bellator.
Nunes is the UFC’s only reigning two-division champion right now and has a professional MMA record of 21-4.
Harrison Has Won a PFL Tournament Twice, Has 10 Wins By Finish
All Harrison knows in MMA is winning.
The judo queen has won all 12 of her MMA bouts, securing 10 of those victories via finish. She’s taken out five opponents by submission and five by TKO.
She’s won two PFL tournaments as a lightweight, receiving $1 million in 2021 and 2019. She holds notable wins over the likes of Taylor Guardado, Larissa Pacheco and Genah Fabian.
When considering the most exciting possible fights for Harrison, two names come to mind. As mentioned earlier, a clash with Nunes would be a spectacular thing to watch. Also, locking Harrison inside the Bellator cage with current 145-pound champion Cris Cyborg is a recipe for a blockbuster event.
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Dana White Dismisses Fighter: ‘Might Be the First Death’