Exclusive: "Won't have the easiest time cutting weight" - Miranda Maverick claims Kayla Harrison's decision to fight at 135 pounds is "kind of crazy"
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison is set to make her UFC debut at UFC 300 in a previously uncharted weight class.
Harrison will make her bantamweight debut against former champion Holly Holm on the historic card. UFC flyweight Miranda Maverick weighed in on Harrison's debut and expressed concerns over the massive first-time weight cut.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA's Dylan Bowker, Maverick said:
"I think that Kayla won’t have the easiest time cutting weight. I’ve met her before, she’s a very big girl. Obviously, has fought at '55 [155 pounds] before, barely has even made '45, so going down to '35 is kind of crazy to me. But I’m sure that she took that under consideration and is working hard at it and just like every other time she’s fought, will take this professionally as well. I think Holly Holm kind of said the same thing but it is an exciting fight."
Maverick mentioned her excitement to see the two ex-champions go at it and relished the prospect of seeing Harrison face a challenge:
"Looking forward to seeing it and both of them kind of duking it out. I’ve always thought Kayla was an absolute phenom within her division but she’s never really had real competition and I think her getting down to that weight will definitely cause some problems for her, you know, that she’s never had in the past. So, really looking forward to watching that fight and all the fights at UFC 300."
Check out Miranda Maverick's full comments below on Sportskeeda MMA Originals (3:48):
Kayla Harrison dispels concerns about her weight cut
Kayla Harrison addressed the noise surrounding her bantamweight debut at UFC 300 and the supposed problems with the weight cut.
In an interview with TMZ, Harrison labeled it a "giant misconception" and stated that her walking weight, around 160 pounds, is much lower than people believed.
She continued by admitting that she will experience a significant weight cut for the first time but accepted it as a challenge regardless. She said:
''I was always the smaller fighter and usually the less experienced fighter. I don't believe in weight cutting, but now I'm going to do what everybody does and I'm gonna be in the cage and I'm gonna be the bigger, faster, stronger and more experienced fighter. Is it gonna suck? Yeah. I'm not gonna enjoy dieting, but it's a chosen sacrifice."
Check out Kayla Harrison's comments below (4:19):