Former UFC title challenger questions Kayla Harrison’s longevity in bantamweight division
One ex-UFC contender doesn’t see Kayla Harrison fighting at 135 pounds for much longer.
Harrison is rumored to be competing for Julianna Pena’s UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship at UFC 316 on June 7. Many believe Harrison will be a sizable favorite going into the matchup if that is indeed the plan. Harrison is riding a three-fight winning streak and she only has one lost in her pro MMA career.
Harrison had to cut down to 135 pounds to make the UFC roster. While she hasn’t had an issue with weight-cutting, one former UFC star feels that it’s still taking a toll on Harrison’s body.
Kayla Harrison Won’t Last at Bantamweight, Says Megan Anderson
Megan Anderson once competed in the UFC’s now-dormant women’s featherweight division. During an interview with MMAFighting.com, she expressed her belief that the cracks will begin to show as far as Kayla Harrison’s cut down to 135 pounds is concerned.
“The caveat for me with Kayla is—and I said this when it was announced that she was going to drop to 135—just because you can make the weight, doesn’t always mean you should,” Anderson told MMA Fighting. “For women, these big weight cuts, hormonally, it’s not good. So even if she does go out there, she dominates Julianna, or it’s a back-and-forth battle and she ends up becoming the champion, I don’t see her fighting for too much longer. It’s the toll on the body, it’s the quality of life, you know?
“I know for a fact that that weight cut is miserable for her. ‘Cause I know that 145 was miserable for me. It was hard. the last 15 pounds was tough, the last five pounds was the worst. I know it’s miserable for her. She’s going to start preparing three months out for that weight cut because it’s so big for her. That is my biggest issue with Kayla. But she’s looked great so far, and I definitely think it’s going to come down to who wants it more. Because Julianna Peña, despite whatever bad position she gets put in, no matter how many times you hit her, no matter how many submission attempts she gets in, she will defend it. She will find a way to get out of it and she will try to turn the tide. That is championship mentality, and that is what has got her to this point so far.”
Harrison has yet to show any signs that the move to 135 pounds has negatively impacted her. Whether or not she’ll begin to struggle as time goes on remains to be seen. For now, she’s at the top of the heap in the women’s bantamweight title picture.
The former PFL champion has gone 2-0 under the UFC banner. Harrison has defeated former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira to earn the No. 2 spot on the official UFC women’s bantamweight rankings.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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Kayla Harrison Megan Anderson UFC
