Kayla Harrison doesn’t like weight cutting, but she realizes that the fastest route to achieving her goals in mixed martial arts is within the featherweight division.
Harrison is coming off a third round TKO victory over Jozette Cotton. It was Harrison’s second professional mixed martial arts bout. Harrison competed in the lightweight division, which isn’t an established weight class for women in MMA. Many are expecting Harrison to transition to 145 pounds eventually, but the judo gold medalist detests weight cutting.
Kayla Harrison Considering Move to 145, Detests Weight Cutting
During today’s (Aug. 20) edition of MMAFighting.com‘s “The MMA Hour,” Harrison told Luke Thomas that she realizes the real competition will be in the weight class below hers:
‘”First of all, I don’t believe in cutting weight. I think it’s terrible for your body, I think if you’re gonna win, you’re gonna win at whatever weight you compete at and I think it’s sending a bad message to young girls and young kids. I don’t want anyone, especially my niece or someone to think that to be thinner is to be better. I just don’t believe in that. You’re big, you’re strong, you’re powerful, that’s the message that I want to send. But I do realize that if I want to be considered the best in the world, I have to beat the best. And that person is at 145 pounds.”
At least for the moment, there isn’t a demand for a women’s lightweight division. Harrison also mentioned that if she has trouble getting fights at 155 pounds, then she’ll have no choice but to compete at 145 pounds. Many are hoping that Harrison can develop her skills and live up to the hype. If she does, then the possibility of a Harrison vs. Cris Cyborg showdown may be the most high profile women’s bout in MMA today. Time will tell if the stars align, but for now Harrison is a lightweight under the Professional Fighters League banner.
Do you think Kayla Harrison should start adjusting to 145 pounds now?
