BREAKING: Kayla Harrison will return to action against Julia Budd at PFL Championships in November

Kayla Harrison is set to make a return to competition after nearly one year away from the cage. She will take on Julia Budd in a featherweight showdown at PFL 10 on November 24, 2023. The news of her return fight was posted on Professional Fighters League’s official Twitter handle.

Harrison has not competed professionally since losing to Larissa Pacheco in the women’s lightweight tournament finals in November 2022. The 33-year-old had defeated Pacheco twice during her undefeated run in the PFL.

However, Pacheco caught up with the American Top Team standout in their trilogy fight and came out victoriously via unanimous decision in a major upset. The loss snapped Harrison’s 15-fight undefeated run in MMA.

Kayla Harrison and Julia Budd were scheduled to fight in July 2022 at PFL 6. However, the fight was canceled after Budd pulled out due to an injury. Harrison fought Kaitlyn Young instead and defeated her via first-round TKO.

Julia Budd is a veteran of the sport but has hit a rough patch in her career in recent times. Following back-to-back losses to Genah Fabian, Aspen Ladd, and Larissa Pacheco, she got back in the win column by defeating Martina Jondrova at PFL 5 on June 16, 2023.

Kayla Harrison hinted at a potential move down to bantamweight a few months ago

Kayla Harrison had previously signed with Bellator MMA after her PFL contract expired in 2021. Being a much sought-after name, it was not difficult for her to find a new opportunity. However, PFL practiced their matching right and re-signed Harrison on their roster. Her contract will expire in December 2023 which might open a lot of new avenues to the Olympic gold medalist.

Harrison’s fight against Julia Budd will be her last appearance as per her current PFL contract. While UFC would be a lucrative option for her to test her skills against the best, the organization does not have a lightweight division.

In order to compete in the bantamweight division, a 5ft-8in tall Kayla Harrison will have to cut a massive amount of weight. While speaking to Marc Raimondi of ESPN MMA in a July interview, Harrison said that she will at least try to make the weight cut to 136 lbs, which is the bantamweight limit for non-title fights. She said:

"It really comes down to, how bad do I want it? How bad do I want to fight? What am I willing to sacrifice for my dreams? It's tough, man. I might f*** around and find out. I might try and do a test cut." [H/t ESPN MMA]

Kayla Harrison's featherweight contest against Julia Budd will give a realistic idea about her chances in the lower weight classes. It will be interesting to see how things play out in this final chapter of her MMA career.