Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison regained her joy for mixed martial arts competition when she entered the UFC Octagon for the first time.
Harrison jumped into the deep end in 2024, committing to a weight drop that appeared unrealistic in the eyes of many in order to realize her dream of competing on MMA's biggest stage.
Having won a pair of gold medals in judo and found championship success inside the PFL SmartCage, Harrison set her sights on a long-discussed pursuit of UFC gold. And that got underway in the perfect way.
At the milestone UFC 300 pay-per-view event in Las Vegas last month, the Ohio native made a splash on debut, dominating former bantamweight queen Holly Holm en route to a second-round submission.
Harrison has since acknowledged her enjoyment throughout fight week and inside the Octagon. That feeling, as it turns out, was something she was missing during the latter part of her PFL stint.
Kayla Harrison Relished UFC 'Challenge' After Unexciting Period
During a recent appearance on UFC Unfiltered, Harrison looked back on her first taste of the UFC experience, both outside the cage and opposite "The Preacher's Daughter" on fight night.
In addition to advancing her competitive goals by immediately breaking into the bantamweight rankings at #4, Harrison spoke about the positive impact the change of scenery has had on her.
Put simply, she is enjoying fighting again.
It's tough because, first of all, I f*cking love the UFC. I am a company girl now, through and through," Harrison said. "The level of professionalism, the level of excitement, the energy, the employees' enthusiasm, their kindness. I was just like, 'Hell yeah!' I was cutting a bunch of weight, so I was kind of riding that energy high all week.
"It felt a lot like the Olympics. Not as big... but it felt very similar," Harrison continued. "Like, 'Oh sh*t, here I am. This is what I've been training my whole life for. Every single part of my story led me to this moment.' And when I stepped in the cage, man, (I was) calm, cool, and collected... I enjoyed the whole process. I was super pumped to fight Holly. Listen, I've fought a lot of tough fighters, but I think it had been a while since I was excited to fight. I don't really fight for money. I wanted a challenge.
While Harrison focuses on journey toward another piece of gold in combat sports, her former employer continues to take digs at her.
During a recent appearance on the Weighing In podcast with John McCarthy and Josh Thomson, PFL founder and chairman Donn Davis branded Harrison a "follower who needs validation."