Getty Two-time judo gold medallist Kayla Harrison is 3-0 in her MMA career.
Fight cards during the 2019 season of the Professional Fighters League will be broadcast on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPN+.
Here’s how to watch all the fights online:
How to Watch ESPN+ Cards
Certain preliminary cards will be on ESPN+, the streaming service from ESPN that includes many different live sports, all the 30-for-30 documentaries and other original content for $4.99 per month.
You can sign up for ESPN+ right here, or if you’re planning on ordering UFC 239: Jones vs Santos on July 6, you can purchase a special bundle that includes a year of ESPN+ and UFC 239 for $79.98 right here.
Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch a live stream of the fights on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the ESPN app.
How to Watch ESPN & ESPN2 Cards
If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of ESPN and ESPN2 on your computer, phone, or streaming device via one of the following live-TV streaming services:
PS Vue — which doesn’t require an actual PlayStation console to sign up or watch — offers four different live-TV channel packages: All four include ESPN and ESPN2.
You can start a free five-day trial of PS Vue right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the fights on your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation (3 or 4), or other supported device via the PS Vue app.
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 60-plus live TV channels, including ESPN and ESPN2.
You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the fights on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
ESPN and ESPN2 are both included in the “Sling Orange” channel bundle.
You can start a free seven-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the fights on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
2019 PFL 1 Preview
Formerly the World Series of Fighting, the Professional Fighters League features a regular season, an elimination-style postseason, and a championship for each of its six weight classes — five for men (heavyweight, light heavyweight, welterweight, lightweight, and featherweight) and one for women (lightweight).
The promotion didn’t hand out a women’s lightweight belt in its inaugural season, when Kayla Harrison won her first three MMA fights, stopping each of her opponents before the final bell. In 2012, she became the first American to win Olympic gold in judo. She repeated in the 78 kg division four years later in Rio.
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Harrison said of competing for the PFL title, according to MMA Fighting. “Not only when you talk about money-wise, but career-wise.
“I love, number one, that every girl has a winning record. All of the girls come from successful backgrounds. There are some beginners in there, like me, who are 1-0 or 2-0, and then there is obviously one of the most experienced, decorated female fighters out there: Sarah Kaufman. So for me, that’s exciting. I want to step up, I want to rise to the occasion, I want to fight the best in the world. I train with the best in the world, so why wouldn’t I want to fight the best in the world? And I’m excited to showcase and show people that I’m becoming a very well-rounded, dangerous fighter.”
The 28-year-old Harrison will begin her quest for the PFL lightweight title against UFC veteran Larissa Pacheco at PFL 12 on Thursday.
Kaufman, the former Strikeforce bantamweight champion and current Invicta bantamweight champ, moved up two weight classes to compete in the PFL.
Harrison expects to meet her in the championship.
“Definitely (that’s the best final),” Harrison said, according to MMA Junkie. “I think she’s a huge veteran of the sport, like longtime vet. She’s a former champion, she’s been in every single promotion, she’s fought the best of the best, she’s beaten some of the best. That’s going to be a true test of my skills. People are like, ‘Oh, you’re going to be so much bigger than her.’ I walk around at like 160. It’s not like I’m this monster. I think people really think I’m cutting from 180 pounds or something. I literally don’t cut weight. I don’t want too. I think it’s dumb.
“I’m not a monster, but I’m definitely taller than her which is interesting because I almost never fight or spar people shorter than me. But if I had to bet money, I would say me and Sarah Kaufman. But it’s a fight, anything can happen.”