Kayla Harrison is one of the best known judoka’s in the world, bested perhaps only by former roommate – Ronda Rousey.
Harrison will follow in Rousey’s footsteps and try her hand at MMA in the World Series Of Fighting Organization. She told NY times:
“If you had peeked through our apartment window in 2007 and said, ‘One of you is going to win two Olympic gold medals, and one is going to become a sports icon,’ we both would have said: ‘What are you talking about? We’re eating ramen noodles and barely getting by,’” Harrison said.
“Four years ago, if I wanted to be an M.M.A. athlete, it’s not something a female could really make a lot of money doing.” Harrison said. Referring to Rousey, she added: “She trail blazed a way for girls like me who want to make some money. I’m hoping to stand on top of her shoulders and continue to have judo girls kill it in the cage.”
Earlier this year Harrison proclaimed she’s not the one to be a loudmouth larger than life personality. She stands by this even today:
“The World Series of Fighting is looking to bring some legitimacy to the sport, and have real athletes who are treated like real athletes, not W.W.E. superstars. I hope to see it go more toward the professional route versus the entertainment route, but I’m not in charge.”
WSOF chief executive Carlos Silva said: “I want people to perceive it as a sport, not just a show. A big part of that is adding sporting people like Kayla.”
Harrison has been doing bjj with Travis Stevens in the mean time:
>Now while Harrison competed in judo at 172 lbs she’s expected to put on a performance at 145 in MMA. This category has been largely overlooked until today and there are just now serious rumblings about the UFC making the room for said division.
Expected to headline that division as of right now is Cris Cyborg. As such Harrison sees that match as a natural order of things along the line:
“I’m not going to go out in my first fight and fight Cyborg,” Harrison said. “That would be crazy.” But she admitted: “I had a dream the other night that I was fighting Cyborg and I got her in an armbar and I broke her arm. But she wouldn’t tap, so I choked her unconscious.”
“Judo is controlled violence,” she said. “Judo in Japanese means ‘the gentle way.’ It’s about disarming your opponent or defending yourself, but never killing them. But M.M.A. is modern-day gladiating. So, yeah, I’m scared. Absolutely. I would be foolish not to be.”
