Becoming a mother has set Kayla Harrison free.
Harrison has become many things in her 34 years on this planet. A two-time Olympic gold medalist. A two-time PFL champion. But being a mom seems to have had the most profound impact on her.
“I guess just the privilege of getting to be a mom, you know? It’s something that I try to be very intentional with,” Harrison said in a recent interview with MMA Junkie. “I truly believe everything happens for a reason, and God gave me these two kids, and together we’re healing each other. They’ve just made me so much better in every possible way.”
While Harrison didn’t become a mother the conventional way, officially adopting her niece and nephew in October 2021 after serving as their legal guardian for two years, the influence it’s had not just on her life but on her career as a professional fighter has been considerable.
“People ask, ‘How do you juggle being a mom and being a fighter?’ Once I became a mom, that became the job,” Harrison said. “Once I realized my kids love me. They don’t care if I get a belt or don’t get a belt, if I have a lot of money or don’t have a lot of money. They care that I come home. They care that I tuck them in at night, that I’m there to kiss a boo-boo. They don’t care about any of that other stuff.
“Once I realized that, dude, it set me free. I became a free fighter. I no longer had to fight because I needed to earn something from someone. I no longer operate from that place of fear. Because I have everything I need—my kids and I, we’re okay, we’re healthy, we’re good. It’s made me fight from a place of joy and love, which has been awesome.”
Kayla Harrison goes for UFC Gold on June 7
While Harrison may no longer be fighting out of necessity, that doesn’t make her any less passionate about accomplishing all of her goals, whether it be at the Olympic level, inside the PFL Smart Cage, or the Octagon. On June 7, Harrison will look to add another accolade to her unmatched resume when she faces Julianna Pena for the bantamweight world championship at UFC 316.
Harrison walks into the bout with a nearly perfect 18-1 record, including back-to-back wins against Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira in her first two appearances under the UFC banner. Harrison is a massive 5-to-1 favorite to defeat ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ in New Jersey.
