"This is something I'm willing to sacrifice for" - 150-pound Kayla Harrison addresses weight challenges one month out from UFC debut
Kayla Harrison will make her UFC debut next month when she faces Holly Holm on the preliminary card of UFC 300. There has been a lot of speculation as to whether or not the former PFL lightweight champion will be able to make weight, as she has never fought at 135 pounds. Harrison recently discussed her weight with exactly one month left until her promotional debut.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour, Harrison stated:
"I know everyone's talking s**t about me online. 'She's on steroids... How's she going to make weight?... Is that Chris Jericho?' I was like that's actually pretty funny... I'm at about 150 pounds... I'm not sitting in a sauna at 1:38 right now so yeah, life is still good. I mean, it's chosen suffering. We all make sacrifices. We all have to pay now or pay later, but eventually we all pay."
The 33-year-old Ohio native continued:
"This is something that I'm willing to sacrifice for. This is something I signed on the dotted line for. So, it's my responsibility, it's my duty. Does it suck sometimes when it's Friday night and I order pizza for my kids? Yeah, of course. I'm like, 'd**n, just one slice'. You have those voices in your head. But overall, I feel really good. My body feels good. My mind is clear. My heart is wide open and ready for the future."
Check out Kayla Harrison's full comments on her weight cut below:
Since making her mixed martial arts debut in 2018, Harrison has almost exclusively competed in the PFL's 155-pound weight division, although she did have one bout at 145 pounds in 2020.
Prior to signing with the promotion, UFC President and CEO Dana White had the two-time Olympic gold medalist conduct what he labeled as a test cut.
Holly Holm would not face Kayla Harrison if she misses weight
Holly Holm has stated that she will not fight Kayla Harrison if the latter, who boasts a 16-1 MMA record, fails to make weight. Speaking to Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour, Holm, who is set to welcome the former PFL lightweight champion to the UFC, stated:
"I'm on the stance that you need to make weight. That's just how it is, and I think that her mindset should be on, 'I'm going to make weight' because she took the fight at 135. I think it's simple. I don't think it should be super detailed. You think about the [canceled UFC 291] fight with [Stephen] 'Wonderboy' [Thompson], his opponent [Michel Pereira] came in three pounds over."
The former women's bantamweight champion continued:
"People are like, 'oh, it's only three pounds' and he's like, 'well, yeah, if it's only three pounds then go lose the three pounds'. There's two ways to look at it. Oh, it's only this or well, it's only that. You can look at it from a lot of different angles, but as a professional, it's just guys have got to make weight. I work hard to make my weight so I expect the same."
Check out Holly Holm's comments on Kayla Harrison making weight below:
With exactly a month until the landmark card, Harrison has just 15 pounds left to cut. Holm noted that she believes a title opportunity could be on the line during their UFC 300 bout.