‘Disappointed’ PFL claims Kayla Harrison ‘ran away’ from Cyborg in desperate bid for brand validation | UFC307

Donn Davis is disappointed.

The PFL president hoped to keep Kayla Harrison on the promotion’s roster (as she will in 2022), where the two-time Olympic gold medalist could cement her legacy with a pair of superfights against MMA legend Cris Cyborg and old nemesis Larissa Pacheco.

Instead, Harrison “ran” to the UFC to “validate himself.”

“We brought Kayla in from the Olympics, developed her into an 18-1 star, two-time champion and one of the greatest women – Top 5 in the sport today,” Davis told MMA Today. “Nothing but pride for that and nothing but respect for Kayla. As a competitor, to build the company, I want every major fighter here. “I’m disappointed that we couldn’t keep Kayla here for what I believe are the two biggest fights of her legacy and her career.”

Harrison signed with UFC in January – as a bantamweight.

“Avenging Pacheco and winning the championship and beating Cyborg, who is the best ever, I think those are the two toughest fights for Kayla,” Davis continued. “I don’t like that she ran away from that. I don’t like that she ran to a brand to validate herself. I have so much appreciation for Kayla Harrison that she doesn’t need a brand to validate her. She’s so amazing…so that disappointed me.”

Davis has a Rolls Royce, but no one to drive it.

Harrison (17-1) made her Octagon debut at UFC 300 in April, finishing former bantamweight champion Holly Holm with a second-round submission. The 34-year-old judoka will return to action on Saturday as part of the UFC 307 pay-per-view (PPV) event. night (October 5, 2024) in Salt Lake City, where he fights Brazilian powerhouse Ketlen Vieira.

A win in “The Beehive State” will likely give Harrison his next 135-pound title shot.

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Don’t miss a single second of epic face-punching action!

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