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#4. Undefeated and already a champion outside the UFC
The 31-year-old made her MMA debut in 2018 at PFL 2. Harrison's opponent Brittney Elkins had a background in jiu-jitsu and was more experienced. However, the former Olympian dominated Elkins and submitted her with an arm-bar in round one. Since then, she has amassed a 12-0 record with ten finishes.
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So far, the two-time Olympic medalist has looked unbeatable. Nine of her twelve opponents haven't made it past the first two rounds. Years of judo training strengthened her ground game, but at American Top Team, Harrison has improved her striking exponentially.
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Within just three years of starting her MMA career, the former Olympian won the PFL women's lightweight championship twice. Harrison's impeccable resume and robust performances have created a lot of hype. Now a free agent, she is poised to step into the big leagues.
#3. Bringing judo back to the UFC
Boxing, wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu have arguably become the most dominant disciplines in MMA. Fighters who specialize in these styles have also found the most success. Lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov ruled the division with his wrestling and grappling. Meanwhile, champions like Israel Adesanya have put on striking masterclasses.
However, apart from Ronda Rousey, no other judoka has become a UFC champion. Harrison, a two-time PFL women's lightweight champion, may be able to change that. The former Olympian utilizes judo techniques such as throws and trips to take her opponents down, even from a clinch position.
Once on the ground, much like Rousey, Harrison is a master at executing armbars. Apart from being a submission specialist, the 31-year-old is capable of landing some vicious ground-and-pound. So far, the former Olympian has racked up five wins via submission and five more via KO/TKO.
None of Kayla Harrison's opponents have had an answer for her judo-based ground game. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
