Kayla Harrison joins UFC, to debut vs. Holly Holm at UFC 300

Holly Holm and Kayla Harrison, two of essentially the most achieved athletes in girls’s fight sports activities historical past, will meet at UFC 300.

The UFC has signed Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo and two-time PFL champion, to an unique contract, UFC CEO Dana White introduced on Tuesday. She is going to face a former UFC and boxing champion in Holm at UFC 300 on April 13 in Las Vegas. The struggle will happen at 135 kilos.

The UFC’s signing of Harrison (16-1) is main information in itself. Harrison, 33, has been the face of the PFL since her MMA debut in 2018. She has fought nearly her complete profession below the PFL banner, primarily at 155 kilos. Harrison’s supervisor, Ali Abdelaziz, advised ESPN that Harrison has examined slicing weight in anticipation of a take care of the UFC and was happy with the outcome.

“We’re extraordinarily grateful for Kayla’s superb profession within the PFL,” Abdelaziz advised ESPN. “She turned the fighter she is now with their assist. We’re nothing however grateful to them and are excited to begin a brand new chapter within the UFC.”

Holm, 42, is seeking to make one final run at a UFC championship. She is formally 4-1 in her previous 5 appearances, with the one loss coming towards Ketlen Vieira by cut up resolution in a struggle Holm believed she ought to have received on the judges’ scorecards. She has two wins over the UFC’s newly topped bantamweight champion, Raquel Pennington, in 2015 and 2020.

The winner might instantly enter title rivalry. Pennington is predicted to face former champion Julianna Peña in her first protection, however the UFC has not made an official announcement.

Harrison, who trains out of American Prime Group in Florida, spoke with the UFC as a free agent in late 2021 below very completely different circumstances. She had made it clear up to now she didn’t want to reduce a big quantity of weight, however her choices at 145 and 155 kilos have been restricted lately. The UFC has by no means promoted a 155-pound division.