Two-time PFL championship winner Kayla Harrison responded to founder Donn Davisās ongoing attacks by shedding a small light on how the league treats its roster.
Harrison is fresh off a unanimous decision victory over Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 earlier this month. Sheās 2-0 since signing with the UFC earlier this year, including a finish of former titleholder Holly Holm at UFC 300.
Harrisonās move from the PFL Smartcage to the UFC Octagon was one of the most stunning storylines of the year. After five full years with the league, which included multiple world titles, the 34-year-old wanted to test herself against the UFCās elite.
So far, so good for Harrison, as she entered the womenās UFC pound-for-pound rankings after passing her second Octagon test. Sheās likely next for UFC bantamweight champion Julianna PeƱa in 2025.
Despite her various accolades in PFL and becoming one of the leagueās superstars, Harrison has been controversially treated since parting ways. Davis has accused Harrison of ducking big-name fights with Cris Cyborg and others and was critical of Harrisonās free agency decision.
During a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Harrison said that while she wonāt get into a verbal spat with the PFL, the league has a lot to answer for when it comes to fighter treatment.
āI donāt feel like I handled it poorly, I did the best I could do,ā Harrison said. āAnd listen, I made it very clear that it wasnāt an easy decision for me to leaveā¦Iāve grown to care for a lot of the people who worked there, so I have nothing to say about them. I do believe now more than ever that these people arenāt your friends, and this is a business through and through. And that was a good lesson for meā¦
āIām not gonna go low, Iām not gonna talk s**t about them. Not going to air all the laundry I could air. About how they handle certain things and the way they have treated fighters. Not going to do that. Because I know that the truth will come out and I have nothing to be ashamed of.ā
Harrisonās remarks come after the PFL had rocky negotiations with the likes of Douglas Lima, Gegard Mousasi, and others. Mousasi was released after critical comments about the league in a May interview with Ariel Helwani.
After winning multiple Olympic gold medals in Judo, Harrison became the face of the PFL in 2018. She won her first fifteen fights in the PFL before a loss to Larissa Pacheco at the 2022 PFL Championships.
Now a UFC star, Harrisonās PFL career will always be part of her legacy. But the divorce between the two sides continues to be mutually inamicable.
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