Video: Kayla Harrison Destroys Her First Opponent of 2021 in Just Over a Minute
Two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison is continuing her streak of domination in MMA. On Thursday night at PFL #3, Harrison squared off with Mariana Morais, her first opponent of 2021, and finished the fight quickly and brutally. Watch video of Harrison’s ground-and-pound TKO victory below.
This was Harrison’s ninth professional victory, all but one of which have come in the Professional Fighters League (PFL). She is undefeated, and has seven of her wins. Kayla Harrison was the 2019 PFL lightweight champion on the strength of her four wins that year. Harrison’s two-time opponent Larissa Pacheco also picked up a victory at PFL #3, possibly setting up a third meeting between Harrison and Pacheco later this year.
With the first-round stoppage, Harrison earned six points, which will determine her eligibility for and seeding in the PFL playoffs.
Although Harrison continues to show improvement and confidence in her striking, she is naturally the most comfortable in the clinch on the mat, where she can use her world-class judo. No woman has yet been able to stop Harrison’s takedowns, ground-and-pound, and overall grappling game that seems to have transitioned perfectly from judo to MMA.
