Kayla Harrison is one of the best athletes in combat sports and is first known for her superiority in judo and her career in MMA and UFC. Harrison made history as the first American to win Olympic Gold in judo, winning the top prize in both London in 2012 and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
Kayla Harrison hit the rock bottom
However, after reaching the pinnacle of her sport, Harrison faced a difficult transition. “After the 2016 match, I knew I had finished in judo. Before I went to the final Olympics, I was burnt out and ready,” explained Harrison.
The sudden end of her judo career left her drifting. “After the game, I suffered from something like post-Olympic depression. I was very focused and didn’t even press the snooze button and set an alarm. I didn’t even have a Netflix account.
Harrison explained periods of uncertainty and emptiness despite the appearance of active social life. “You want to talk about couch potatoes. There was something like my indentation on my couch. I drank a lot, went to all these parties and did a lot of cool stuff, but I felt really sad and empty.
MMA
The turning point came when a friend invited her to an impressive class in Boston. “I went. I loved it. ‘Oh, I’m back in my body. This feels good.’ So I came back. “That first class marked the beginning of Harrison’s journey at MMA, where she quickly found a new sense of purpose.
“About a month after starting my impressive class, I went to my first sparring session. This little 105 pound chick etched me head-on on my face. That’s it. I was always like a normal person, and I was a bit scared.
Kayla Harrison signed with the professional Fighters league, winning two PFL lightweight championships and setting an undefeated record for many of his early MMA careers. Her success in the PFL attracted attention from the wider MMA community, and in 2024 she made her highly anticipated debut at the UFC.
Kayla Harrison of UFC
Kayla Harrison will challenge Julian Napeña in the UFC Women’s Bantamweight title at the UFC 316 co-main event at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 7, 2025. The match marks Harrison’s first UFC title shot after a successful transition from the Olympic judo and PFL Championship to the UFC.
Now, Kayla Harrison is preparing for her first UFC title fight in just a few weeks. The struggle she faced after the Olympics gave her a new perspective.
