Kayla Harrison’s return will come a year after her last fight, a defeat that forced the two-time champion to recalibrate.
Ten months ago, a crushing defeat in the Professional Fighters League’s lightweight championship derailed some of Harrison’s loftiest goals and forced her to confront the uncertainty of loss. It ended her prospect of an undefeated mixed martial arts career, imperiled potential high-profile bouts with the sport’s biggest names and forced the 33-year-old to face herself in ways she hadn’t.
Last year, she assumed a more proactive approach because of a desire for elite competition and the grind of PFL’s seasonal format, which positioned her to fight four times in seven months. Harrison said she would pursue higher-profile individual fights instead of competing in the PFL’s 2023 season. She was keen on bolstering her legacy with blockbuster bouts against Amanda Nunes and Cris “Cyborg” Justino, top female fighters who featured in competing promotions.
With so much extra time and space, Harrison said resentment and bitterness crept in, “but really, when I got down to it, it was really just sadness. Like, who am I when I’m not doing something?”
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