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New UFC signee Kayla Harrison made her name in Olympic Judo and the PFL. She is the “most successful American Judoka in history” according to Luke Thomas. Competing at 78kg (172 lbs) she won the 2010 World Judo Championships, gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, and gold at the 2011 and 2015 Pan American Games.
As a professional mixed martial artist she’s 16-1 and she’s mostly fought at 155 pounds with a couple of bouts at 145 pounds. She’s spoken out in the past about her opposition to weight cutting.
“But I do realize that if I want to be considered the best in the world, I have to beat the best. And that person is at 145 pounds [she’s referring to Chris Cyborg, ed.]. So I walk around at about 160 when it’s not post-fight week,” she told Luke Thomas in 2019.
Dana White wants to assure fans Kayla Harrison can make 135 for UFC 300
None of that stopped UFC and Power Slap CEO Dana White from announcing Kayla Harrison as a surprise signing to the UFC for a fight with Holly Holm.
Now White wants to reassure fans she can make weight.
“Kayla Harrison will make 135,” White told fans during an impromptu Instagram Live Q&A. “She’s already done a couple practice cuts. She’s already made 135 a couple times. So, yes, she will make the weight.
Kayla Harrison talks making the cut
Harrison has been reassuring fans she can make weight as well.
“I mean 135 will challenge me in ways like I’m going to have to lose a piece of me to be able to fight at 135 pounds,” Harrison told MMA Fighting in a November interview. “I think just structurally, I carry a lot of muscle. I’m already kind of lean, so I’m going to have to lose muscle. I’m going to have to change my entire lifestyle. I mean I have already done that to fight at 145.”
Dana White still hasn’t announced UFC 300 main event
UFC 300 still doesn’t have a main event.
“You’ll get the main event when I’m ready to give you the main event,” White said in the same Q&A. “I’ve been squeezing them out one by one. When I’m ready to give you the main event you’ll get it. You’re not ready yet. You can’t handle the main event.”
“We have a couple options for the main event. We’re still playing with it. When it’s time, then we’ll give it to you.”
UFC 300 fight card so far
Here is the current UFC 300 fight card, and how the landmark event is shaping up after Kayla Harrison’s bout being added:
Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan [115 lbs title]
Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway [BMF title]
Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm
Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan
Jiří Procházka vs. Aleksandar Rakić
Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling
Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt
Jim Miller vs. Bobby Green