Ali Abdelaziz, the powerhouse manager behind some of the biggest names in the UFC, has some bold opinions about Kayla Harrison’s impact on the sport. When asked whether Harrison could achieve the same level of success as Ronda Rousey, Abdelaziz claimed that she has already done so.
Drawing a comparison to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Abdelaziz claims that Harrison will not only leave her mark on the game but will also surpass Rousey’s achievements altogether.
Abdelaziz appeared for an interview on Kevin Iole’s YouTube channel where he dived deeper into why he explains why Rousey will pale in comparison.
Asserting that Harrison was already doing better than what Ronda did, Abdelaiz said that despite only having had one fight in the UFC, the media juggernaut is behind the two time Olympic gold medalist. Harrison has every one talking, he adds.
“ Can you imagine if Kayla have four fights. Kayla is doing everything better what Ronda did. Ronda won a bronze at the Olympics, Kayla won two golds. The way Kayla is going to do it is going to be like Khabib smashing people’s faces.”
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Harrison on paper, might have the better resume in combat sports. However, what Ronda Rousey has done for the sport can never be beaten or surpassed.
What Ronda did paved the way for the likes of Harrison and made UFC a mainstream sport, even before Conor McGregor arrived on American shores.
That said, Kayla has a chance to take a step closer to the belt this weekend at UFC 307 and pave her own legacy in the sport as a dominant champion.
Harrison rings the alarm bell for the entire division
Kayla Harrison is making waves as she prepares to face Ketlen Vieira in the main card opener at UFC 307, a fight that many see as a title eliminator. That would make anybody else nervous, but ‘anybody else’ doesn’t have half as many Olympic golds as Kayla Harrison.
Her presence at the pre UFC 307 presser proved once again that she’s a force to be reckoned with.
Harrison confidently declared,
“It doesn’t matter who I fight next. I’m the uncrowned queen. First, I smash Ketlen, and then I come for my title. Enjoy it while you can, ladies.”
Julianna Pena wasn’t impressed, criticizing Harrison for jumping the line after just one UFC fight. “As far as I’m concerned, the last time she faced a Brazilian, she came running into the UFC,” Pena said, referencing Harrison’s only loss.
Vieira, while acknowledging Harrison’s judo background, also echoed Pena’s sentiments, saying it feels unfair for Harrison to skip ahead despite her accolades.
So, it’s clear that tensions are high, and everyone is eyeing the crown!
