Kayla Harrison is staying put.
The women’s MMA star has signed a multiyear contract to remain with Professional Fighters League, the organization announced Tuesday morning. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“I’m happy the free agency is over and I have a fight on the horizon,” Harrison told The Post via text. “I’m excited to continue to grow and challenge myself and be one of the highest paid athletes in the sport.”
Harrison (12-0, 10 finishes), whose contract with PFL expired after she won her second consecutive women’s lightweight season on Oct. 27 with a second-round armbar submission victory over Taylor Guardado in the final, had been one of the most high-profile MMA free agents in years. UFC president Dana White said last year he was “interested in the whole Kayla Harrison thing.” Bellator CEO Scott Coker spoke earlier this year about his desire to bring Harrison into the fold to compete in the promotion’s 145-pound weight class.
In the end, PFL was able to retain its biggest star, who has earned praise both for her results in the cage and her ability to promote a fight.
The 31-year-old former two-time Olympic gold medal-winning judoka has made known her desire to fight the best women in the world at 145 pounds and up. Of the three major North American MMA organizations, only PFL has her preferred 155-pound division that requires minimal weight cutting and, thus, puts less strain on the body before a fight. Current major featherweight champions Amanda Nunes (UFC) and Cris Cyborg (Bellator) are widely considered to be the most accomplished women in MMA history.
“I am also excited PFL is on board with helping me reach my goals of becoming the best and trying to acquire some of the biggest competition in the game to come and challenge me,” Harrison said. “I look forward to us making those fights happen and until then I have another belt to win.”
Harrison faced little resistance competing almost exclusively for PFL since her 2018 MMA debut, two years after earning her second judo gold medal at the Olympics in Brazil. She became the first female PFL champion and $1 million season winner in 2019 — the promotion’s second year – and repeated the feat in 2021. Its third season was postponed a year from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
PFL also announced the debut of what it calls a “Pay-Per-View Super Fight Division”
“I am also excited to announce the PFL is launching a new Pay-Per-View Super Fight Division where star MMA fighters will compete on a global stage against the best fighters in the sport,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a statement. “Two-time PFL Champion, Kayla Harrison, will be fighting in the PFL’s 2022 Season starting this April on ESPN networks and will also continue to build her legacy as a main event in the PFL’s PPV Super Fight Division.”
Harrison’s opponent for her April return to the cage will be announced “in the coming weeks” along with the rest of PFL’s regular season schedule, the statement said. She will be joined this season by Julia Budd, the former Bellator featherweight champion who debuted for PFL in October. The presence of these two decorated women gives 2022 the organization’s strongest women’s lightweight roster yet.