Rousey may have been the first Olympic judo medalist to rise to the top of the women’s bantamweight division, but Harrison is the most accomplished, having claimed gold at both the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics before making her transition to mixed martial arts. After storming out of the gates at a higher weight class and amassing a 16-1 record with a dozen finishes, the American Top Team representative signed with UFC and made her way into the Octagon, dispatching Holm by second-round submission in her promotional debut at UFC 300.
It was the right stage for the debut of the division’s newest badass, and Harrison used it brilliantly, dominating a respected former champion and making it clear that she had only one mission: to win the women’s bantamweight title.
Shop Official Breaking Barriers Merchandise
After a gruelling victory over Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, the Olympic champion finally got the chance to become UFC champion last June when she faced off with two-time champ Julianna Pena in the co-main event of UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey. Following a first round where she largely controlled the action on the canvas — and was hit with an illegal kick while grounded that cost Pena a point — Harrison resumed her assault in the second, grounding the champion and forcing her to tap to a swiftly-applied kimura in the closing seconds of the round.
One of the greatest combat sports athletes of her time, Harrison now has her sights set on icon status in the Octagon as she will eventually welcome former two-division Amanda Nunes, universally recognized as the greatest female fighter of all time, back to action. Former teammates in South Florida, this battle has been brewing for some time, and though it was delayed earlier this year, whenever it comes together, it will be one of the biggest fights of the year.
