UFC sensation Kayla Harrison is set to mark her debut at UFC 300, as confirmed by UFC CEO Dana White on Tuesday night.
The promotion has secured Harrison’s signing, and she is scheduled to face former bantamweight champion Holly Holm on April 13. Notably, this bout will also be the first time Harrison competes at 135lbs in her MMA career.
The announcement took many by surprise, as Harrison’s free-agent status wasn’t widely known. However, the two-time Olympic gold medalist has long been linked to the UFC, and her debut in the promotion is highly anticipated.
Harrison, boasting a record of 16-1, is coming off a decision victory over Aspen Ladd in November. This win followed a surprising decision loss to Larissa Pacheco in the 2022 PFL women’s featherweight tournament finals.
Despite entering the Pacheco fight as a significant favorite, Harrison had previously defeated her twice. Throughout her MMA career, Harrison has secured notable victories over Cindy Dandois, Kaitlin Young, and Genah Fabian, among others.
Her opponent, Holly Holm (15-6 and 1 NC), is coming off a main event fight against Mayra Bueno Silva last July, which initially ended in a submission loss but was later overturned to a No Contest due to a positive drug test by Bueno Silva.
Holm rebounded with a decision win over Yana Santos after a controversial decision loss to Ketlen Vieira. Ranked fifth at bantamweight, Holm is a former champion who claimed the title in 2015 with a knockout victory over Ronda Rousey.
Despite challenges for the featherweight title against Cris Cyborg and Germaine de Randamie, Holm’s career includes notable wins over Raquel Pennington (twice), Irene Aldana, and Bethe Correia.
The official lineup for UFC 300 now includes:
- Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan
- Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway
- Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic
- Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan
- Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm
- Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling
- Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage
- Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt
