The Departure of Kayla Harrison: PFL’s Loss, UFC’s Gain
It was a shock to many when news broke that Kayla Harrison, the longtime face of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), had signed with the UFC. PFL co-founder Donn Davis expressed his disappointment, but also believes that the promotion will continue to thrive without her.
After Harrison’s win over Aspen Ladd at the PFL World Championships event in November, Davis believed she still had one fight left on her PFL contract. However, she ended up signing with the UFC and will face Holly Holm at UFC 300 on April 13. When asked about the situation, Davis gave an honest response.
“I don’t know,” Davis said on The MMA Hour. “And I talked to Kayla, and I believe Kayla and I have a very good relationship, and I don’t know [what happened]. So I can only speculate and I don’t really like to speculate about things that are about other people.
“So one, I don’t know, and two, I’m disappointed. So I think – unlike Dana [White] when he talks about other fighters, tends to be negative if they leave, tends to be negative if they don’t do what UFC wants them to do – here, I’m disappointed. PFL, in six years, has never lost a fighter, and remember, in year one and year two and year three, PFL was not a strong company. We’re a new company, so there were many reasons for fighters to leave and they never did. Now, did we release up fighters? Yes. Did we upgrade fighters? Yes, because we were always getting better. Never had a fighter leave, so this is the first time in six years.
“And ironically, PFL had never been stronger and the matchups we had for Kayla Harrison, were better than the matchups she was going to get at UFC. She was going to fight Cris Cyborg, which I believe is the biggest fight available in the women’s division possible. It’s a legacy, career statement fight for her. [Then] Larisa Pacheco, who beat her fair and square. So Kayla’s, call it next two to three fights at PFL are harder than they are at UFC, are bigger than they are at UFC. So I don’t know. I really can’t explain her motivations for leaving, and I was disappointed.”
Harrison had competed 16 times for the promotion, winning all but one fight. She also seemed destined for a fight with Cyborg after the PFL absorbed Bellator in November. However, that fight may never happen now that Harrison has left the promotion.
Davis admits that he is sad about not having any fights involving Harrison in his promotion, but ultimately believes that the PFL will continue to thrive without her.
“That being said, because PFL has never been stronger – 80 fighters ranked in the top-25, 33 fighters ranked in the top-15 – we’re fine,” Davis explained. “It’s almost like when people post about UFC, they’re always fine if Connor’s not fighting this year or something like that. So our brand, our ratings, our financials, zero impact to Kayla not being here.
“But personally, I don’t like when any fighter leaves. So I wish she was here.”
Final Thoughts
The departure of Kayla Harrison from the PFL may have been a disappointment for the promotion, but it is a huge gain for the UFC. While Davis may be sad about not having her in his promotion, he is confident that the PFL will continue to thrive without her. Only time will tell how Harrison’s career will unfold in the UFC, but one thing is for sure – she will be missed in the PFL.
