Kayla Harrison Hopes to Face ‘Cyborg’ Next but ‘Not Waiting for Anybody’

Two-time Professional Fighters League women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison wants to face reigning Bellator MMA women’s featherweight titleholder Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino next. However, the decorated judoka has no plans to sit around and waste her prime while she waits for the highly anticipated bout to come to fruition.

Harrison (16-1) returned to action from a year of inactivity following her first pro defeat against Larissa Pacheco. The two-time Olympic gold medalist outpointed Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Aspen Ladd to a unanimous decision in a 2023 PFL Championships catchweight showcase on Friday at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. Despite Ladd’s relentless spirit and durability, Harrison comfortably rolled to 30-27 scores across the board. Harrison outstruck her counterpart by a 165-27 margin.

Afterward, she proceeded to call out Cyborg.

“I’m excited that PFL just acquired Bellator,” Harrison said. “I heard there’s a girl in Bellator who thinks she’s a bad bitch. Well, why don’t we find out?”

However, the American Top Team product does not have unlimited patience. Acknowledging Cyborg’s incomparable career and status as one of the greatest female fighters in the history of the sport, Harrison indicated she planned to stay active moving forward, regardless of opponent.

“No, I’m not going to wait,” she said at the post-fight press conference. “I’m 33. I said I got into this sport to be the best and to climb as high as I can climb. I feel like I’m hitting my stride now; I’m hitting my peak. I’m in a great place, but I’m not going to do this forever. I think I have been doing two a day since I was 12 years old, so my body is not going to be in great shape at 40, but I do love it. I do get immense joy out of it, but I’m not going to wait for anybody, you know? I just waited a year, and it almost drove me insane, so I’m not waiting for anybody.”