Five fights into her fight career, Kayla Harrison has learned a lot about what it means to be a mixed martial artist.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo received a crash course in the sport after deciding to transition to MMA, where she now calls the Professional Fighters League her promotional home. She has worked tirelessly on adding new weapons to her arsenal as she’s sought to become a well-rounded fighter, while also relying heavily on her grappling background.
As much as she wants to have all the tools to win a fight no matter where it goes, Harrison has witnessed a string of high-level fighters from wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo who’ve suddenly abandoned grappling after learning how to throw a few strikes.