Kayla Harrison vs. Ronda Rousey at the 2005 U.S. Judo Championships was a clash of two legendary judokas.
UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey and current bantamweight contender Kayla Harrison squared off on the Judo mats at the 2005 U.S. Judo Championships. Before both Harrison and Rousey went on legendary runs in MMA, they made themselves into legends in Judo, putting the U.S. team on the map for years to come.
Just weeks removed from her 18th birthday, Rousey faced a then 15-year-old Harrison in a highly-anticipated matchup at the tournament. The future Olympic medalists squared off in a back-and-forth war on the mats, with both judokas having encouraging moments in their clash.
But this time around, Rousey got the better of Harrison and showed the upstart talent that there were levels in Judo.
Ronda Rousey went at it with a teenage Kayla Harrison years before UFC Hall of Fame career
Just one year before Rousey met Harrison at the 2005 U.S. Championships, Rousey became the youngest Judoka to qualify for the Olympic Games. Despite making history, Rousey didn’t earn an Olympic medal during her first appearance at the games, but would eventually find immense success later on in her career.
Harrison would also go on to earn a medal at the Summer Olympics, but faced a harsh dose of humble pie against Rousey when they competed.
Rousey defeated Harrison in their 2005 clash, eight years later, Rousey would make her UFC debut in the promotion’s first female fight against Liz Carmouche.
Watch Rousey and Harrison’s legendary battle below.
Harrison credits Rousey for paving the way for Judokas to make full-time transitions into MMA. Rousey’s legendary run in the UFC Octagon led to blossoming stars like Amanda Nunes, Valentina Shevchenko and Zhang Weili becoming fan favorites.
Harrison’s loss to Rousey ended up being the fuel to her fire in the sport; earning Olympic Gold Medals in women’s judo in 2012 and 2016. She made her professional MMA debut in June 2018 at PFL 2 in Chicago, submitting Brittney Elkin with Rousey’s signature armbar technique.
Rousey entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018 after a largely dominant run inside the Octagon. Despite losses to Nunes and Holly Holm to conclude her UFC career, Rousey’s bantamweight title reign was one of the most incredible runs in MMA history.
Julianna Pena defended Ronda Rousey against Kayla Harrison shade in recent interview
Fast forward to 2025, UFC bantamweight champion Julianna Pena scolded Harrison for perceived swipes at Rousey and her legacy. Responding to comparisons to Rousey, Harrison highlighted Rousey’s inability to win Olympic gold, a clear shot at the UFC Hall of Famer.
Harrison’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has publicly declared that Harrison will surpass Rousey’s MMA accomplishments by the time she hangs up the gloves. Before signing with the UFC last year, Harrison won multiple world championship titles in PFL and became the face of the promotion.
Harrison and Rousey will always be compared as long as one of them is still competing in combat sports. After their battle in 2005, don’t be surprised if Harrison joins Rousey in the UFC Hall of Fame after she hangs up the gloves.