Did Kayla Harrison retire from Judo? Revisiting the Olympian's achievements in the sport

Kayla Harrison is widely heralded as one of the greatest grapplers to have ever competed in the sport of mixed martial arts. The widely-revered Olympian has experienced tremendous success in the MMA realm thus far and has vowed to continue the same inside the UFC's famed octagon.

A former PFL women's lightweight (155-pound) champion, Harrison recently parted ways with the PFL after an impressive run in the organization. The Ohio-born star will make her UFC debut and will face former UFC women's bantamweight champion, Holly Holm. The fight is set for UFC 300 and will be contested in the bantamweight (135-pound) division.

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Did Kayla Harrison retire from Judo? Revisiting the Olympian's achievements in the sport

Kayla Harrison's mother introduced her to the grappling-centric martial art of Judo. Since the age of six, the martial arts aficionado harnessed her Judo prowess and eventually etched her name in the history books among the most skilled Judokas of all time.

Under the guidance of a black belt Judoka mother and other coaches, Harrison worked her way up the Judo food chain. She eventually earned the honor of representing her nation at the Olympic level in the sport of Judo. Harrison bagged two Olympic gold medals over the course of her Judo career.

Harrison's first gold medal came at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, as she bested the UK's Gemma Gibbons in the 78-kilogram category in the finals. She thereby earned the distinction of becoming the first American to win a gold medal in Judo.

Furthermore, Kayla Harrison won her second gold medal in the sport of Judo at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She bested France's Audrey Tcheumeo to win the accolade, add to her legacy as a legendary Judo practitioner, and cement her position amongst the most reputable US grappling community representatives.

Kayla Harrison's Judo record is 208 wins and 50 losses, per JudoInside. She's amassed multiple titles and honors in the sport, including medals at the World Juniors Championships. The crafty fighter won a number of medals at the IJF Grand Prix, IJF Grand Slam, World Masters, Pan American Championships, Pan American Games, and the World Championships as well.

A staple in the martial arts sphere since her childhood, she was officially ranked No. 1 from 2012 to 2017 as a senior in the 78-kilogram weight class by the IJF. Besides, in the aftermath of her gold-medal-winning performance at the 2016 Olympics, Harrison announced her retirement from Judo.

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Kayla Harrison looks to make a statement against Holly Holm at UFC 300

Although she bid adieu to her Judo career, Kayla Harrison stayed true to her Judo roots and utilized her stellar skill set to make an incredible transition to the sport of MMA. Harrison has wreaked havoc in the women's MMA dominion since her debut in June 2018, primarily competing under the PFL banner.

The athletic phenom notably won the PFL women's lightweight tournament in 2019 and 2021, thereby capturing the PFL women's lightweight championship. Her lone MMA defeat came via a unanimous decision against Larissa Pacheco in November 2022, a fighter whom Harrison previously bested by a unanimous decision in May 2019 and Dec. 2019.

After her first MMA loss, Kayla Harrison returned to her winning ways by defeating former UFC fighter Aspen Ladd via unanimous decision in a 150-pound catchweight bout at PFL 10 (2023) in Nov. 2023. As an MMA fighter, apart from one featherweight (145-pound) bout and the aforementioned catchweight bout, each of Harrison's other matches has taken place at lightweight.

Many believe that competing in the bantamweight division for the first time in her career, against a former UFC champion like Holly Holm nonetheless, would likely be a daunting challenge for Harrison.

For her part, Harrison (16-1 MMA), a grappling great and Ronda Rousey's former training partner, would be looking to make a statement against Holm. Many believe winning over the 42-year-old boxing and MMA icon could catapult Harrison into the UFC women's bantamweight world title picture. Whether or not she replicates or outshines her PFL success in the UFC remains to be seen.