Kayla Harrison may have climbed to the top of the mountain, but she plans on going even higher.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist delivered one of the most dominant performances of her mixed martial arts career at UFC 316, handily defeating Julianna Pena via a second-round submission to claim the women's bantamweight championship.
It's a goal that Harrison has been dreaming of since day one. But now the question is, what comes next?
I was ready right then! I want to fight for the title," Harrison told MMA Junkie while attending the UFC Hall of Fame ceremony in Las Vegas last month. "I want this, that, and the other... all in God's time, God's plan. But I think when you visualize something and you have a dream from the first day I started MMA, this was the dream. And so once it happened, I was like, 'Oh, wait. We're done? Like, we did it, but we're not done yet.'
As they say, a champion only becomes a champion once they've defended their title.
Kayla Harrison Tells Amanda Nunes to 'Send Location'
Harrison has not yet booked a date for her first defense, but it's safe to say that the woman standing across from her inside the Octagon will be none other than former champ-champ Amanda Nunes. 'The Lioness' stepped inside the Octagon immediately following Harrison's win at UFC 316, going face-to-face with the new bantamweight queen and setting the stage for one of the biggest fights in MMA history, regardless of gender.
Obviously, Amanda’s next," Harrison said. "We spoke to her at the Hall of Fame yesterday. She says Q4. But she’s not in the drug testing pool yet, so she might not be able to fight till Q1 of next year.
“I’m sure they’re talking to Ali and letting him know about everything. That’s why I pay him the big bucks—so I don’t have to think about stuff like that. I just show up, train, work hard, stay ready. Send a location, I’ll be ready.
