The past weekend at UFC 300, one of the most anticipated fights was that of Kayla Harrison. The former PFL champion made her debut in the promotion after signing with the UFC just a few weeks back. She was a heavy favorite going into the fight and expectedly emerged victorious. Surprisingly, the 2x Olympic gold medalist stated in recent interviews that she took inspiration from Ronda Rousey to tackle the puzzle put forth by Holly Holm.
After a near perfect debut, Harrison joined Brett Okamoto on the ‘ESPN MMA’ YouTube channel to dissect her debut win. While speaking of the win, Harrison said that she was extremely confused by the approach Holly Holm took in the first round. She went on to add,
“I was confused by the first round. I had pictured in my mind over and over again, her using her footwork and her distance. I was picturing having to chase her. You remember when Ronda came at her and she ducked under it and Ronda fell on her knee. I was like you can’t chase, you can’t chase. That is what I was picturing over and over and over in my mind.”
Holly Holm is a world champion kick boxer and one of the best female athletes in the UFC. In her fights, she usually stays on the outside, maintains distance and picks apart her opponents from afar. However, in the first round against Harrison, Holm was seen standing in the middle of the octagon. This was not something Harrison expected or trained for, which is why she mentioned that she was thrown off by Holm’s game. But Harrison’s skills reigned supreme, and she managed to submit the former champion via a rear naked choke.
Now she will look to secure a few more fights in the division before aiming for a probable shot at the title.
What is next for Kayla Harrison after a perfect debut in the UFC?
Not a lot of fighters secure a debut win against a top five ranked fighter in their division. However, that is exactly what Harrison did. This just goes to show how talented a mixed martial artist she is. Following her win, Harrison had one thing on her mind: the UFC title. Harrison stated that by the end of the year she will be the UFC bantamweight champion.
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Harrison went on to call out the likes of Amanda Nunes for a fight. Even though Nunes is retired, she responded to Harrison’s call out on social media. While nothing is confirmed yet, a fight between Harrison and Nunes would probably be the biggest fight the UFC can make in the women’s bantamweight division.
