Kayla Harrison calls the speculation surrounding her impending weight cut as “chosen suffering” ahead of her promotional debut at UFC 300.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist is set to make her promotional debut in April when she takes on former champion Holly Holm on the prelims of UFC 300.
The fight will be contested in the bantamweight division, which has fuelled speculation surrounding Harrison’s ability to drop that far down from her more natural weight classes – her last bout was a catchweight of 150lbs.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Harrison laughed off many of the comments being made online and teased that she’s in a fantastic place both mentally and physically, one month out from her UFC 300 debut.
Kayla Harrison breaks silence on UFC 300 weight-cutting speculation
After transitioning from Judo to MMA, Kayla Harrison competed in the PFL promotion with much of her most recent career taking place in the lightweight division of 155lbs – although her last fight was a catchweight bout of 150lbs.
Yet Harrison will make her UFC debut against Hall of Famer and former world champion Holly Holm at bantamweight, which means she’ll have to cut down to the non-championship limit of 136lbs.
Speaking on today’s episode of The MMA Hour, the fan-favorite athlete brushed off the weight-cutting speculation with little regard for other people’s opinions, instead joking with Ariel Helwani:
“I know everyone’s talking s*** about me online, blah blah blah she’s on steroids, blah blah blah how’s she going to make weight, blah blah blah is that Chris Jericho…I was like that’s actually pretty funny.”
Harrison revealed that one month away from UFC 300, she was currently weighing around 150lbs before admitting that whilst “life is still good”, the nature of cutting weight for professional MMA can be boiled down to “chosen suffering.”
“I mean it’s chosen suffering…We all make sacrifices, we all have to pay now or pay later, but eventually we all pay. And this is something that I’m willing to sacrifice for, this is something that I signed on the dotted line for so it’s my responsibility and it’s my duty.”
“Does it suck sometimes when it’s Friday night and I order pizza for my kids? Yeah, of course, I just want a slice, you know those voices in your head. But overall, I feel really good.”
Defeating a legend such as Holly Holm is certainly no easy task, especially in your UFC debut, yet Harrison teases that she’ll be in the perfect place to earn a decisive victory when the octagon door is locked behind her:
“My body feels good, my mind is clear, and my heart is wide open and ready for the future and all of the excitement that’s building…I’m fuelled, I’m hydrated, life is good. I’m a killer.”
UFC 300 takes place on April 13; Harrison vs Holm will take place on the prelims.