Kayla Harrison may have extended her undefeated UFC record this past weekend, but not everything went her way second time around inside the Octagon.
Five months on from an emphatic arrival at the expense of former women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm, Harrison returned for her second taste of action on MMA’s biggest stage at UFC 307.
Saturday’s pay-per-view main card opened with the two-time PFL title winner facing off against the #2-ranked Ketlen Vieira, who didn’t go away in the fashion that her underdog odds perhaps would have suggested.
And although there was little doubt about who would have their hand raised after three rounds, the Brazilian did have moments of success, including a clean elbow in the clinch that bust Harrison open.
Harrison Reacts To Adversity In UFC 307 Fight After Eating Brutal Elbow
During her post-fight press conference, Harrison reflected on her successful performance in Salt Lake City, which has seen her start life in the UFC with consecutive wins over top-five opposition.
While she was able to steamroll through Holm en route to a submission, the Ohio native had to settle for a hard-fought decision on Oct. 5. And it even left Harrison tasting something new inside the cage — her own blood.
“That threw me, I’m not going to lie to you. Nineteen fights in, I’ve never seen my own blood in the cage. But it feels good,” Harrison said. “I feel like I’m going to grow from this tonight. It’s a really good learning opportunity for me, and tomorrow, we’re going to go back to the house, rewatch the fight and dissect it. Tomorrow’s a new day – lots of room for improvement for me.”
Although she didn’t put the kind of stamp on her UFC 307 performance that she had anticipated, Harrison’s third outing in the promotion is still expected to come with gold on the line.
Newly crowned queen Julianna Peña snubbed the two-time Olympic gold medalist post-fight, however, instead making good on her promise to call out retired former opponent Amanda Nunes.
