UFC CEO Dana White announced that Kayla Harrison has officially joined the promotion, and her teammate recently touched on the same.
In a recent post on social media, White revealed that the former PFL women's lightweight champion will face Holly Holm in a bantamweight fight at the highly anticipated UFC 300 pay-per-view on April 13.
Harrison's teammate Dustin Poirier took to X in reaction to the latest addition to the UFC roster, as they both train at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. He posted an image alongside Harrison and captioned the post:
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
''Nothing to see here folks just 2 @ufc fighters''
Apart from one fight in Invicta FC, Harrison spent her entire professional MMA career in the PFL. Following the PFL's acquisition of Bellator and rumors of a super fight between the American and Cris Cyborg, many expected her to re-sign. However, she ultimately joined the UFC and will, surprisingly, compete at bantamweight, a division she's never fought in before.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist Judoka has clarified her reasons for leaving the promotion she was once the face of. In the caption of an Instagram post, she wrote:
''When I started competing, my goal was to be the best…the Olympic champion of #MMA. The @UFC presents me with the opportunity to be just that. It’s been an amazing journey to reach this point, and I’m grateful for every step along the path. The highs and lows have all shaped me and made me an even better version of myself. God’s timing is perfect, and I am sure of one thing: My time is now. Let’s goooooo!''
Opening odds for Holly Holm vs. Kayla Harrison clash at the UFC 300
Kayla Harrison, a two-time winner of the women's lightweight tournament in the PFL, is set to make her octagon debut against Holly Holm, the former UFC women's bantamweight champion. As mentioned previously, the fight will take place at 135 pounds.
Per Sportsnet MMA journalist Aaron Bronsteter, Harrison opened as a -375 favorite, which has already swung to -500. Meanwhile, Holm opened as a +310 underdog, and the margin is seemingly increasing as more bets come in.