Kayla Harrison may involve the chrome dome of Dana White into her celebrations if all goes well at UFC 316. Speaking with Mike Heck of MMA Fighting ahead of her bid for UFC bantamweight gold this weekend, Harrison discussed several subjects. The multi-time Olympic gold medalist and former PFL champion looks to claim the 135 pound crown presently held by Julianna Pena when the two clash in the pay-per-view co-maine vent set for Saturday, June 7th in Newark, New Jersey. When discussing her mindset heading into such a massive matchup considering her martial arts pedigree ons ome of the biggest stages in the world, Kayla Harrison said.
Kayla Harrison
"This is what it's all about, you know? It's all about daring to dream big. I know that I've put in the work, I know that I have the best team, I have the best game plan, I'm prepared, I'm ready—and that is going to be the fruit of my labor. To feel those feelings, to feel the weight of the UFC belt go around my waist, to probably give Dana a big old kiss on his bald head and just hug my family... yeah, I can't wait for that moment."
"I think it's probably a little more nerves, just because it's my dreams on the line. But every fight matters, especially in MMA. It's been a long journey to get here, and I've just been trying to be mindful of that. When the days are long or the sessions are hard, I remember that it's all going to be worth it. Practicing gratitude, I think quite a bit about the fact that I'm living my dream. I don't know that there are many people on the planet who get to say that—every day I wake up and I do exactly what I want to do; I chase my dream. When I remember that, it's easy."
Kayla Harrison and her run in the UFC octagon so far
Kayla Harrison came into the octagon with a lot of hype from her days as a star in the PFL smart cage and she has lived up to the hype so far in her UFC tenure. Harrison debuted with the promotion on one of the biggest shows in company history as she submitted former bantamweight champion Holly Holm at UFC 300 last April. In her sophomore contest withthe MMA powerhouse, Kayla Harrison would defeat Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision at UFC 307 last October to punch her ticket for this championship opportunity versus Julianna Pena.
