hero-image

"You can make 155 but you can't beat me" - Kayla Harrison reacts to Cris Cyborg's callout, Cyborg responds

Kayla Harrison (L), Cris Cyborg (R) [Images via @judokayla and @criscyborg on Instagram]
Kayla Harrison (L), Cris Cyborg (R) [Images via @judokayla and @criscyborg on Instagram]

PFL lightweight Kayla Harrison put on an impressive performance at PFL 8 last night. Going up against the much taller Genah Fabian, many wondered how effective Harrison's game plan would be against the City Kickboxing protege. However, the judoka laid all doubts to rest as she dominated her opponent to win via TKO in the very first round.

After the fight, Kayla Harrison displayed her confidence as she asserted that nobody has an answer for her grappling. Harrison went as far as to say that UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya couldn't stop her takedowns if he wanted. Needless to say, Kayla Harrison has put the entire MMA world on notice.

Former UFC women's featherweight champion and current Bellator MMA women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg took to Twitter, suggesting a fight between her and Harrison. Cyborg's tweet read:

"I can make 155lbs...#GrandSlamChampion"

During the post-fight press conference, Kayla Harrison was informed of Cris Cyborg's tweet. Harrison laughed and said:

"We know she can make 155lbs. Congratulations! Do you want a participation trophy? You can make it but you can't beat me."

Cyborg was quick to reply, tweeting an image holding her belts, saying she's been collecting trophies for 16 years.


Does Kayla Harrison truly have a shot at beating Cris Cyborg?

Some may say Kayla Harrison is perhaps getting ahead of herself by asserting that Cris Cyborg couldn't beat her, and maybe they'd be right. Cris Cyborg is a living legend in the world of women's mixed martial arts. The former UFC champion boasts a 24-2 record, with her last loss coming to Amanda Nunes in 2018. Cyborg's only other loss was her pro-MMA debut, which she lost owing to a kneebar submission.

Since then, Cris Cyborg has been a force of nature, tearing through her competition and making it look easy. The Bellator women's featherweight champion is the only fighter in MMA history to win titles across four major promotions, making her a Grand Slam Champion.

Kayla Harrison is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo. One of the most intricate and demanding grappling sports in the world, judo is truly a game of the elite. After conquering the world of judo, Harrison made her way into MMA and has amassed an undefeated 11-0 record so far.

She trains with UFC champ-champ Amanda Nunes at American Top Team. While many have fantasized about a hypothetical matchup between the two, a bout between Harrison and Cyborg may be easier to achieve. That said, Kayla Harrison has stated that she'd be open to fighting Nunes in the future if the opportunity presents itself.

For now, these super-fights are only figments of imagination. What's real is that Kayla Harrison looks like she's levels above her competition at the PFL.

You may also like