Kayla Harrison is determined to become the UFC’s next women’s bantamweight champion, but after her latest win at UFC 307 she’s admitted that the weight cuts down to 135lbs are taking a big toll on her.
“I don’t like to make excuses, but I had to go to the hospital the week before,” Harrison told MMAJunkie a few days after a less convincing win than usual over Ketlen Vieira at the weekend. “I was, like, peeing blood. There was some stuff going on. I don’t like to make excuses, but I definitely wasn’t my best inside the cage Saturday night. I know I can be better and grow from it.”
The 34-year-old Harrison didn’t explain the specifics of what caused her to be hospitalized, but it’s not hard to imagine it might have something to do with her weight cut, given that when she first arrived in the UFC earlier in the year many people believed it wouldn’t be possible for her to cut down to 135lbs.
That’s because Harrison is huge for the weight class, having previously won Olympic judo gold medals competing at 172lbs, while her MMA career, including winning two PFL tournaments, had largely taken place at 155lbs.
And in her interview with MMAJunkie, Harrison goes on to admit that she doesn’t feel that she should really be fighting at 135lbs, which is why she’ll now be taking time out before going through that ordeal again.
“I need to take a little bit of time off just because of the weight cut and the process that it is for my body,” Harrison said. “I’m not built for – I’m just not built to weigh 135 pounds. Anytime I get under the 150s, it’s not pleasant. …
“The first time was fear of, like, ‘Can I do it?’ This time it was fear of, like, ‘Oh God, I have to do it’ – the anticipation. But I’m blessed. I have such a good team.”
