Kayla Harrison vs. Ronda Rousey on the US Judo Championships 2005 was a collision of two legendary judo bags.
UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey and the current Bantamweight candidate Kayla Harrison Kwadraten on the Judo Mats on the US Judo Championships 2005. Before both Harrison and Rousey went on legendary runs in MMA, they made the American team for the coming card.
Only weeks away from her 18th birthday, Rousey stood for a then 15-year-old Harrison in a long-awaited matchup at the tournament. The future Olympic medal winners squared in a back and forth war against the mats, with both Judoka's encouraging moments in their collision.
But this time Rousey got better from Harrison and showed the start -up talent that there were levels in Judo.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Ronda Rousey went with a teenager Kayla Harrison for years before UFC Hall of Fame -career
Just a year before Rousey met Harrison at the American championships 2005, Rousey became the youngest Judoka who qualified for the Olympic Games. Despite writing history, Rousey did not earn an Olympic medal during her first performance at the Games, but would eventually find a huge success later in her career.
Harrison would also earn a medal at the Olympic Summer Games, but was confronted with a hard dose of modest cake against Rousey when they competed.
Rousey defeated Harrison in their 2005 collision, eight years later, Rousey would make her UFC debut in the first female fight of the promotion against Liz Carmouche.
View the legendary battle of Rousey and Harrison below.
Harrison credits Rousey for freeing the road for Judokas to make full -time transitions in MMA. Rousey's legendary run in the UFC Octagon led to flowering stars such as Amanda Nunes, Valentina Shevchenko and Zhang Weili who became fan favorites.
Harrison's loss against Rousey eventually became the fuel for her fire in the sport; Earning Olympic gold medals in Women's Judo in 2012 and 2016. She made her professional MMA debut in June 2018 on PFL 2 in Chicago and brittney made Elkin with the characteristic Armbar technique of Rousey.
Rousey went into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018 after a largely dominant run in the Octagon. Despite losses to Nunes and Holly Holm to conclude her UFC career, Rousey's Bantamweight Reign was one of the most incredible runs in MMA history.
Julianna Pena defended Ronda Rousey against Kayla Harrison Shade in a recent interview
Fast forward to 2025, UFC Bantamweight champion Julianna Pena Harrison scolded for observed swipes in Rousey and her legacy. In response to comparisons with Rousey, Harrison emphasized Rousey's inability to win Olympic Gold, a clear opportunity in the UFC Hall of Famer.
Harrison's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has publicly stated that Harrison will surpass the MMA performance by Rousey by the time she hangs the gloves. Before he signed at the UFC last year, Harrison won several world championship titles in PFL and became the face of the promotion.
Harrison and Rousey will always be compared as long as one of them still competes with combat sports. After their battle in 2005, don't be surprised if Harrison joins Rousey in the UFC Hall of Fame after hung up the gloves.