UFC 316: Kayla Harrison reacts after grueling cut to 135 pounds
Kayla Harrison is on weight for her first UFC title fight.
Harrison, a former Olympic gold medalist in judo is set to challenge Julianna Peña for bantamweight gold in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC 316 card in Newark, New Jersey. On Friday morning, she stepped onto the scale to weigh in, and for the first time in career, hit the 135-pound limit for bantamweight title fights.
She looked extremely depleted on the scale, and there’s no question the cut took a major physical toll on her, but making weight was a major victory nonetheless.
Shortly after she left the scale, Harrison took to Instagram to react to the milestone.
View this post on Instagram
“135,” she wrote in the caption for her post. “This number represents more than a successful weight cut, it’s my testimony.”
“The early mornings. The late nights. The tears. The discipline when no one was watching. The quiet faith that carried me when I was tired and overwhelmed.”
She concluded her post with a bible verse.
Will Kayla Harrison win gold at UFC 316?
Now that Harrison has made weight for UFC 316, the big question is how her extreme cut to 135 pounds will affect her in the Octagon. It’s not guaranteed to be a factor, but it could be.
One way or the other, she will enter the Octagon as a big betting favorite. That’s due to the incredible success she’s had in MMA thus far. Harrison is 18-1 as a pro. Her lone loss was a decision against Larissa Pacheco—a woman she’d already beaten twice—in 2022.
Highlights of her resume include two PFL title victories at lightweight (155 pounds). She’s also 2-0 in the UFC , with a submission win over former bantamweight champ Holly Holm, and a decision win over long-time contender Ketlen Vieira.
Do you think she’ll claim the belt at UFC 316?
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Topics:
Kayla Harrison UFC
