Former two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison faced legitimate adversity for the first time in a UFC cage on Saturday and likely secured a shot at the women’s bantamweight title for her efforts.
Harrison (18-1) overcame a pair of cuts and a hematoma on her forehead to outwork No. 2-ranked Ketlen Vieira (14-4) in a unanimous decision inside the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The kickoff bout to the UFC 307 pay-per-view card saw Harrison, 34, take home judges’ scores of 30-27 (twice) and 29-28. CBS Sports also scored it 29-28 for the former two-time PFL champion.
“My hat goes off to Ketlen. She’s No. 2 for a reason,” Harrison said. “I came to UFC because I wanted to challenge myself. I didn’t come here for money and I didn’t come here for fame. I came here because I want to be the best in the world. This is where the best girls in the world are.”
Harrison made big news in January by signing a free-agent contract with UFC. Three months later, she mauled and submitted former champion Holly Holm in Round 2 of their UFC 300 bout to announce her presence in a huge way.