MMA star Kayla Harrison says ‘there’s nothing quite like’ Olympic gold and her historic medal was ‘the stuff of dreams’
DESPITE Kayla Harrison’s utter dominance in MMA, in her own words ‘there’s nothing quite like’ competing for your nation at the Olympics.
And better yet, not only did Harrison twice go all the way in the Games, she made history as the first American to win Olympic gold in judo.
The grappling legend achieved the feat in 2012 in London and then followed it up to become two-time champion in Rio four years later.
Harrison is now 10-0 in MMA since her 2018 debut and a year later became the Professional Fighters League lightweight winner.
It helped put her among the leading names in women’s MMA and the poster girl for PFL – but still she is yet to top the feeling of her historic Olympic heroics.
Harrison, 31, told SunSport: “There hasn’t been anything yet.
“I was very happy when I won the PFL title, whenever I win a fight I’m super excited but it’s just a little bit different.
“But there’s nothing quite like going and representing your country and to win a gold medal is amazing, but to win America’s first judo medal and to repeat it.
“That’s just stuff made of dreams. Obviously winning an MMA world title, winning a million dollars, all of that is amazing.
‘SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT THE OLYMPICS’
“But I think everyone agrees, and I’m sure if you speak to other Olympians who compete or fight or have transitioned into something else, there’s just something special about the Olympics.
“Everyone tunes in, the whole world stops, even in a global pandemic.
“There’s just something really special about that and brings everyone together.”
Harrison is on her way to defending her PFL title, which is contested in a quarters, semis and final format with a $1m winning prize cheque.
The lightweight booked her place in this year’s last four with a win over Cindy Dandois, 36, in June and faces Genah Fabian, 31, in the final four.
All eyes are on reigning champ Harrison, but after twice capping off a four-year Olympic cycle with the highest honour, she is used to the pressures.
“There’s no pressure like the pressure of an Olympic final. I just don’t know if you can ever emulate that.”
Two-time Olympic champion Kayla Harrison
Harrison said: “The Olympics are once every four years, it’s something you train your whole life for.
“It’s not very lucrative, especially for a judo player, it’s something you do because you love it and you want to be the best at it and represent your country.
“In MMA, every fight counts, especially when you come with the background that I come with.
“But there’s no pressure like the pressure of an Olympic final. I just don’t know if you can ever emulate that.”
Harrison’s Olympic crown helped catapult her right into the upper echelons of MMA.
And it is that time spent with Team USA, dominating on the judo mat, which helped put her on the path of success in the cage.
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“I have more people follow me in MMA than I ever did following my judo career, and I was way more dominant in judo than I was in MMA, so far.
“I’m happy for my Olympic experience because I’m very well prepared for the world of MMA because of it. Both inside the cage and outside the cage.
“I kind of live by the Olympic morals and the Olympic ideals and was brought up in that kind of environment.”
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