Kayla Harrison is officially in the UFC. The former Olympic gold medalist is set to make the jump from the Professional Fighters League at 300 in April when she takes on former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm. UFC CEO Dana White made the announcement on Tuesday night that the fight will take place at 135 pounds.
Harrison, 33, won gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics in judo at 78 kilograms, or roughly 171 pounds. She made her professional debut in 2018 with PFL and has been a roster mainstay for the last five years. She won the PFL women’s lightweight tournament twice in 2019 and 2021, earning a $1 million prize in each. She suffered her lone pro defeat in the 2022 finals of the tournament to Larissa Pacheco.
Many expected Harrison to take on Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg now that the two promotions were under one roof, beginning with the Bellator vs. PFL champions card set for Feb. 24 in Saudi Arabia.
But instead, Harrison will make the move to UFC and compete a full 20 pounds lighter than she…
