Kayla Harrison has the opportunity to become a member of the Club of Champions in MMA's leading promotion on UFC 316.
Harrison, a two -time Olympic gold medal winner in Judo and two -time title winner in the PFL, quickly made a splash in the UFC.
After a perfect 2-0 debut year, Harrison Julianna Pena will challenge UFC 316, looking for the second reign of the champion with 135 pounds to a quick end.
The matchup of the couple was a long time ago, with them dating back and forth from Harrison's PFL days.
But when it comes to long -awaited attacks for Saturday's challenger, Pena is one of the many that the cage has reached.
Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC
Kayla Harrison said she should definitely fight against Cris Cyborg in MMA
Before she established her sights on the UFC Bantamweight title, Pena, and a potential confrontation with former teammate Amanda Nunes, Harrison had one woman firmly in her sights.
At the end of 2018, only a few fights in her MMA career and before her titles success in the PFL, Harrison showed her first interest in an all-time cris Cyborg.
That wish was unveiled by Harrison's manager Ali Abdelaziz in an interview with MMA Weekly. The Dominance MMA CEO went so far that he claimed that Harrison insisted that her career could never be complete without a kind of fight with the Brazilian.
“I believe that the fight should be done – at the moment Cyborg is the (greatest of all time), but I believe that Cyborg and Kayla Harrison should fight at the end of 2019 or 2020,” said Abdelaziz.
“Kayla called me before she was signed with PFL and she said:” I can never finish my career without Cyborg, and if I can't fight her in the cage, we can fight in the gym, a parking space, I just want to compete against this lady. “
“She wants to compete with her because Kayla believes she can beat her,” added Abdelaziz.
Kayla Harrison opted for the pursuit of a UFC title above Cris Cyborg Fight
Talking about a confrontation between Harrison and Cyborg dominated the last few months of the first under the PFL banner.
Although the resentment competition of the couple was long impossible because of their contractual ties to separate promotions, the PFL's acquisition of Bellator – where Cyborg ruled as his old featherweight Queen – put the match firmly on the table.
But as soon as Cyborg joined Harrison under the same banner, her American rival opted for re -signing with the PFL.
To this day, the Brazilian legend Harrison continues to accuse the active avoidance of her by becoming a member of the UFC.
With Cyborg currently on her farewell tour in combat sports, it seems that Harrison's opportunities to fulfill her vow of 2018 to combat the former UFC champion slimming – at least when it comes to the cage.
There is still the parking lot …