Kayla Harrison (9-0) was on cloud nine following the victory in her opening bout for the PFL (Professional Fighters League) 3 regular season. The 30-year-old former judoka had a mic-drop moment after she claimed a dominant victory over lightweight veteran Mariana Morais (16-11).
In her post-fight interview, Kayla Harrison sent out an ominous warning to the entire women's MMA circuit. 'Doug' believes her performance tonight warrants her coronation as the queen of WMMA. Harrison also took a dig at "YouTube idiots" calling out professional fighters of late. Harrison said:
"Listen, this isn't a tournament. It is a coronation and I'm the queen, okay? Uh, I'm not the one to talk a lot of crap. Uh, it is not really part of who I am. But it seems like everybody from boxers to YouTuber idiots think that they can get in there. And that's just not the case. So, luckily for the rest of the world, I believe in equal opportunity. So, if anyone thinks they can step to me they can come get in the cage. But from now on, I'm the baddest woman -- in this room and in any room."
A former Olympic gold medalist in Judo (2012 and 2016), Kayla Harrison is no stranger to collecting names in the PFL.
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The American Top Team protege fought Larissa Pacheco at PFL 10 for the lightweight crown in 2019. Harrison dominated each round with her superior grappling acumen and churned out a unanimous decision victory. Upon winning the tournament, Harrison took home a hefty $1 million prize money.
Kayla Harrison extends her undefeated record:
In her 2021 PFL 3 opening bout, Kayla Harrison put her clinch game to work when she took down Mariana Morais within 40 seconds of the first round. Harrison then unloaded a barrage of punches on Morais from full-mount. Referee Gary Copeland stepped in to stop the bout at 1:23.
With tonight's victory, Kayla Harrison extended her pro-MMA record to 9-0.