Kayla Harrison recently weighed in on a potential clash with Ronda Rousey. She was brutally honest with what she believes would unfold and doesn’t feel it would be competitive.
There has been plenty of speculation surrounding Rousey’s potential return to combat sports. The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion admitted that she has been training again during some of her latest podcast appearances.
Harrison, the current UFC women’s bantamweight champion, is set to face Amanda Nunes at UFC 324. If she’s victorious, there aren’t too many high profile matchups available. With that being said, Rousey making a comeback to take on a woman she has history with could be a selling point.
Despite the name value and attention a potential bout would get, Harrison wasn’t convinced about it being competitive. However, she did say that it would be a great story.
“That’d be some free money,” Harrison said during her appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. “Holy [expletive], dude. Sometimes I can’t even write [it]. It’s too poetic.”
The two have a history that dates back to their judo careers. Rousey defeated Harrison in both of their meetings.
Harrison emphasized that Rousey’s fans have dismissed her as a worthy challenge because of those judo losses.
“When people talk about us fighting, all the Ronda simps are like, ‘She already beat her twice in judo,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, well, I was 13 and being molested,” Harrison said. “[Rousey] was 18 or 19. It’s fair. We were in the same weight class. She beat me. I’m woman enough to admit when I get beat.”
Kayla Harrison Once Opened Up About Her Relationship with Ronda Rousey
Kayla Harrison once explained what her relationship was like with Ronda Rousey. She made it clear that they weren’t close friends. However, they did help help each other at times.
During her appearance on OverDogs Podcast, Harrison recalled training with Rousey in preparation for her Olympic journey. The UFC champion said that she served as ‘Rowdy’s training partner and shared an act of kindness displayed by the UFC Hall of Famer.
“I went as a training partner for her to the ’08 Beijing Olympics. [She] definitely brought out the best in me I feel like,” Harrison said. “[Rousey] is also a girl who, we’re in Belgium and I have maybe $5 in my bank account, and she bought groceries and let me eat. So, I’m not ever gonna say anything bad about Ronda.”
When Did Rousey Last Fight?
Although there is speculation and reports about Rousey possibly making a comeback, it’s important to note that she hasn’t fought in quite some time.
Rousey faced Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in 2016. It was a highly anticipated fight, as it took place over a year after her first career loss to Holly Holm. ‘Rowdy’ was unable to reclaim the women’s bantamweight championship, as Nunes delivered a dominant performance.
Nunes earned a 1st round TKO win after finishing Rousey with strikes in only 48 seconds. Rousey went on to transition to pro wrestling and made her official WWE debut in 2018.
Now, 10 years later, Nunes is making a comeback of her own when she faces Harrison at UFC 324 on Jan. 24.
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