With the end of her PFL contract looming, Kayla Harrison knows her value will only skyrocket if she can secure another title.
Reigning PFL lightweight champion Harrison (10-0) has looked nothing short of dominant ever since transitioning to MMA, and she’s looking to claim another $1 million payday this season.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo faces Genah Fabian in a playoff semifinal matchup that serves as the main event of 2021 PFL Playoffs 2, which takes place Aug. 19 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The main card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.
While winning the tournament is the only thing she’s focused on for the time being, Harrison knows that she’ll be in high demand once her contract is up at the end of the season.
“I have two fights in front of me; I have to go out there and kill for the love of killing,” Harrison told MMA Junkie Radio. “Those are my focus, and I know that if I do everything right and go out there and keep my head down and work hard that most likely I’ll be one of the biggest free agents, hopefully in the history of the sport, unless PFL comes to the table and offers me life-changing money. We’ll see what happens, but right now my focus is just to win these two fights.”
Though Harrison is currently competing at 155 pounds, which other major promotions such as the UFC and Bellator don’t offer, she has proven that she can hit the featherweight mark. Harrison picked up a second-round TKO over Courtney King at Invicta FC 43, admitting that she was pleasantly surprised at how good she felt after having to cut an extra 10 pounds.
She currently sits at No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie women’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Harrison is already being lauded as one of the greatest female fighters in the sport, which has sparked discussion on potential matchups with the likes of UFC dual-champion Amanda Nunes and Bellator featherweight champion Cris Cyborg. While those matchups could be in Harrison’s future, the 31-year-old is focused on carving her own path to greatness.
“I think both of their careers sort of speak for themselves,” Harrison said. “I think they’re both unique and impressive in their own right, and my job is to go out there and be equally as impressive and then more impressive, so I’m not sure exactly what road I have to take to get there, but I’m looking forward to the journey very much.”
To see the full interview with Harrison, check out the video below.