Women’s lightweight star and multi-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison is bullish on the future of women’s fighting.
Harrison (14-0), also a two-time Olympic gold medallist in Judo, is in London this week for PFL 9 and her semifinal fight with Martina Jindrova. It has been a full ten years since the Judoka captured her first Olympic medal in the city; this time she’s marching towards her third consecutive PFL final.
Asked during Thursday’s PFL media day about women in fighting, and the advice she had for young girls watching the sport, Harrison replied by saying that “hopefully it’s going to be inspiring to them.”
“It’s a great time to be a woman and it’s a great time to be a female fighter,” Harrison stated. “There are women headlining cards, there are all-women cards. Women are taking over this sport in a big way, and I’m very honoured to play a small part of that, and to be a piece of history.”
As for her advice, “if I can do it, you can do it,” suggested Harrison. “I was a six-year-old who sat on my grandma’s couch and watched the 96 Olympics and said ‘man I want to be the best in the world at something some day.’ It was a long road and a lot of ups and downs, and a lot of highs and lows, and a lot of moments where I wanted to quit and give up and sulk and hide away. But [I’m] coming from being that six-year-old kid with a dream to being the baddest woman on the planet — and you can too.”
Harrison is matched up with Martina Jindrova this Saturday at PFL 9, and the plan is the same as always. “The goal is to win by KO, TKO or submission. I want to go out there and instill my will, but I’ve prepared for 15 hard minutes. Whatever happens, happens. I’m going to go out there and instill my will and have some fun.”
Watch the full PFL 9 media day appearance by Kayla Harrison above.
