'I want to be the greatest and the greatest fighters compete in the UFC' - Kayla Harrison keen on fighting inside the octagon

Two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison wants to compete inside the UFC's octagon. But according to UFC president Dana White, the 30-year-old isn't ready yet.

Speaking on the same during an interview with MMA on SiriusXM, Harrison refuted any truth in these claims by mentioning that she would gladly prove him wrong.

While her entire professional career has been spent at the Professional Fighters League (PFL) thus far, the COVID-19 pandemic opened up a new opportunity for her last year. With the PFL's 2020 season getting canceled, Kayla Harrison was able to secure a second-round TKO victory at rival promotion Invicta FC.

The American made her anticipated return to the PFL against Mariana Morais during their PFL 3 clash on May 6th, 2021. Having won the bout once again through a stellar TKO finish, Harrison looks set to dominate the rest of the roster. When asked about how she balances her personal interests with that of the promotion's, she said:

"You don't want to bite the hand that feeds you. PFL has been good to me; they've taken great care of me. I do truly believe in the format that the PFL is using. I believe this will make MMA more sport-based. I think that this is the future. But I want to be the greatest. And statistically speaking, the greatest fighters are in the UFC. There's just no question. The UFC is synonymous with MMA. For me it isn't really all about money, its about the legacy of being the greatest. So we'll see what happens"

🔊"I do truly believe in the format that the PFL is using...I think that this is the future. But, you know, I want to be the greatest."@KaylaH discusses Dana White's comments about her not being ready for UFC & dealing with the questions about fighting there👊@jimmysmithmma pic.twitter.com/EoSDSFiyyM
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) May 19, 2021

When did Kayla Harrison make her PFL debut?

Kayla Harrison formerly began her mixed martial arts career alongside her fellow judoka, Ronda Rousey. Making her PFL debut on June 21st, 2018 against Brittney Elkin in the lightweight division, Kayla Harrison's maiden win came by way of an armbar submission. While Rousey has had a successful run in the UFC during her prime time, Harrison hasn't managed to make the cut as yet.

.@KaylaH admits she "would like to fight someone else" after picking her second win over Larissa Pacheco at #2021PFL3:

"I wish her the best… But for my selfish reasonings, I would like to fight different competition."

Watch full interview: https://t.co/zlFye0tFs2 pic.twitter.com/WGMnDRznxK
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) May 18, 2021

Do you anticipate Kayla Harrison making an appearance in the UFC sooner rather than later? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!