Two-time Olympic Judo Champion Kayla Harrison, has shocked the martial arts world by announcing that she has signed with WSOF.
Kayla Harrison earned her second Olympic gold medalist during this year’s games in Rio. However her next opponent will not be on the judo mats. She officially broke the news earlier today that she has signed to World Series of Fighting. Harrison will start off as a brand ambassador and commentator. Eventually she will make her professional debut. Most likely at the 145 weight class.
Although she won her medals at 78kg, which is around 170-pounds, Harrison believes that featherweight is her division for MMA. She told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour two weeks ago, “I’d have to lose some weight and figure things out, but 145 would be doable for me.”
“I’ve been boxing and doing jiu-jitsu and all that, and the biggest thing for me, really, is that I miss competing,” Harrison told USA Today today, “I miss fighting on the highest stages of the world, and the World Series of Fighting really gave me a great opportunity.”
Kayla Harrison will make her first appearance (not as a fighter) on WSOF’s New Year’s Eve card which takes place at the Madison Square Garden theater. WSOF CEO Carlos Silva seems quite excited about signing the top prospect:
For me, personally, having been president of Universal Sports and being very involved in the Olympic movement with NBC, I’m personally just very excited to have Kayla join our team. If you haven’t ever held a gold medal or seen a gold medal, it’s special, and the people that get them are special. We’re just excited to have her join the team.
The MMA community has always shown some interest in Harrison. She received her first gold medal around the same time as Ronda Rousey’s rise to fame. Rousey and Harrison are even former training partners. Harrison has proven that she is incredibly marketable. It only seemed a matter of time before an MMA or something else sought her out.
Harrison spoke about the obvious comparison to Rousey, “A lot of times people like to compare me to Ronda. I’m my own person. I make my own decisions. I’ll do it in my own time.”
Harrison believes she still needs at least one year of MMA related training before accepting her first fight. She’s aware of the expectations surrounding her debut and plans to show that she’s worth all the praise
I’m excited for this new chapter. I’m excited to commentate. I’m excited to be a brand ambassador and help the World Series of Fighting grow their organization, as well as help me grow myself as a fighter, as a brand myself, and my foundation. So it’s all coming together, and I’m really excited to be working with such a positive and professional team
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Back in 2012, Harrison signed with Ali Abdel-Aziz’s management team. Aziz is the former executive vice president of WSOF and manages many high profile fighters. With Aziz’s connections, she will have plenty of access to top training partners and coaches.
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