MMA News: Kayla Harrison Re-Signs With PFL Despite UFC, Bellator Offers

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison is staying with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) for the foreseeable future.

Donn Davis, the co-owner and chairman of PFL, announced that Harrison has signed a “historic new contract” via his social media, which will ensure she gets a chance to defend her reign as the best women’s lightweight in the promotion.

Harrison was a heavily sought-after free agent by other mixed martial arts promotions like the UFC and Bellator thanks to her otherworldly ability to finish her opponents quickly.

On a guesting with ESPN’s SportsCenter, Harrison revealed why she chose to stay with the promotion that made her one of the most talked-about female fighters outside of the other mainstream MMA organizations.

“There were a lot of contract negotiations, many of them lucrative. Ultimately, the PFL had the right to match any contract I received, and they stepped up in a big way and now I’m going to be staying with the PFL,” she said.

Highly touted as one of the best female fighters in MMA, Harrison is a two-time PFL women’s lightweight champion and has remained unbeaten in 12 fights.

However, the main criticism of the 31-year-old’s MMA run is that she had been facing fighters who are well below her level.

Harrison is aware of such comments and made it clear that PFL is looking to bring in more well-known fighters that will challenge her to keep getting better in the ring.

“He [Donn Davis] made it very clear to me that the goals I have for myself, the ways that I want to challenge myself is still going to be accomplished and the PFL supports me in that a hundred percent. They’re not afraid to pay big money to bring over big-name fighters to come [and] challenge me,” Harrison remarked.

Following the conclusion of the 2021 PFL season and her second consecutive women’s lightweight title, Harrison entered free agency where rumors emerged that both Dana White and Scott Coker, respective presidents of the UFC and Bellator, had plans to sign the judoka.

Her going to Bellator was seen as a major possibility following her back-and-forth with current Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg on Twitter, but that matchup now seems to be on the shelf for now.