Kayla Harrison, Olympic gold medalist and two-time MMA champion, confirmed her loyalty to the Professional Fighters League by inking a new multi-year deal with the promotion. PFL made the news official on their social media on Tuesday.
Harrison was one of the hottest free agents in MMA in recent memory, attracting interest from PFL, Bellator, and UFC. Reportedly, Bellator had the best offer on the table, and many believed they would end up adding the 31-year-old to their roster. However, PFL decided to exercise their option to match any offer and keep Harrison as part of the Professional Fighters League for years to come.
Sources from the industry say that UFC would have liked to add Harrison, but the price was too steep. It is believed that they pulled out early in the sweepstakes after realizing their offer was significantly weaker.
Kayla Harrison represented the United States between 2009 and 2016 in judo. She won two Olympic gold medals in the 78kg division and has one World Championship gold on her resume. Harrison officially retired in 2016 in order to focus on mixed martial arts.
Harrison made her MMA debut in 2018 with PFL, recording a win over Brittney Elkin via submission. Since then, she has recorded 11 more wins and remains undefeated. In addition, she won the PFL Women’s Lightweight Tournament in 2019 and 2021.
