Move over Ronda Rousey.
Fellow judoka and two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison will make her MMA debut with the Professional Fighters League next February, according to MMA Fighting's Dave Meltzer, who spoke with Harrison's manager, Ali Abdelaziz.
Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times was first to report the news.
Due to her judo expertise, Harrison has drawn plenty of comparisons to Rousey, a former UFC women's bantamweight champion and one of the most famous names in the sport. The two were former training partners back when both were focused primarily on international judo competition.
The 26-year-old Harrison became the first woman to capture Olympic gold in judo when she came in first place at the 2012 London Olympics, and then the first to win two golds when she repeated the feat in 2016 at the Rio Olympics. At the time, she deflected questions about embarking on an MMA career, but eventually changed her mind, signing with the World Series of Fighting promotion (now the PFL) last October to work as a commentator with the goal of becoming a professional fighter.
Though the PFL will distinguish itself by utilizing tournaments, Harrison is expected to compete in a women's featherweight bout that will be separate from that format.
