We’re just moments away from the women’s bantamweight showdown between Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison. The judoka Olympic gold medalist is chasing UFC gold, with hopes of extending her win streak and eventually scoring a fight with Amanda Nunes—who’s already teased a comeback to face the winner of UFC 316. But beyond the Octagon, did you know Harrison also holds full custody of her niece and nephew? Her fight isn’t just for legacy—it’s for family.

You heard that right—the 18-1 fighter has custody of her niece and nephew, and she also cares deeply about their well-being. Let’s take a closer look at why Kayla Harrison has custody of them. Let’s get started.

Real reason behind Kayla Harrison adopting her sister’s kids

The promotion is filled with individuals whose hearts are made of gold, and Kayla Harrison might be one of them. Harrison didn’t just step up for her niece and nephew—she permanently adopted them, assuming the role of their mother. But why did she adopt them? Back in 2021, Harrison opened up about her family as well as her journey to motherhood.

She revealed that her family circumstances led her to adopt her niece Kyla and nephew Emery. As per reports, Harrison’s sister was dealing with personal issues and turbulence in her life. At the time, the children were under the care of Harrison’s mother, Jeannie Yazell, and stepfather, Bob Nichols, in Ohio. “My sister has struggled with addiction for most of her adult life. And so my mother, she had custody of my niece and nephew. In 2019 my mom suffered a stroke. She was recovering with a 6-month-old and a 5-year-old,” sair Harrison in at UFC 316 press conference.

She further added, “So I flew up, packed up the kids and I said, ‘I’m just gonna take them for a while.’ We drove down here to Florida and becoming a parent overnight is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. It’s also the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The scariest thing I’ve ever done by far. The thing I’m most proud of about our family is that we’re breaking generational cycles. We are healing each other. They know that this is home and they know that they are safe.”

Everything changed in December 2019 when Yazell suffered a stroke, and within six months, Nichols passed away. After that, when the kids had no one left, Harrison stepped in and took over as the guardian of her then-eight-year-old niece, Kyla, and two-year-old nephew, Emery. In October 2025, the fighter confirmed that she had officially adopted them and had become their legal mother. Well, now that we know about the story, let us have a look at whether or not she has any biological children.

Does Harrison have biological children?

Well, apart from Kyla and Emery, Kayla Harrison has not been a mother to any other children. Her dating life has had its challenges, as she has described it as a difficult part of her personal journey. Harrison keeps her love life private, and it appears she may not be dating anyone at the moment—for good reason. One of her past relationships escalated into a full-blown legal battle.

According to the court records from Broward County, Florida, Harrison filed a restraining order against Anthony Rocco Martin  in September 2021, a protective order that was renewed twice during her term. This was the start of her trouble as, in December 2022, police responded to an an incident at a rental property in Lee County, Florida, where Harrison was found in a distressed state. Her bad experiences with dating has brought her to the decision of keeping her love life as private as possible.

Now preparing to fight Julianna Peña this weekend for the bantamweight belt, Harrison is finally on the right track. Given that, what are your thoughts on her adopting her sister’s children? State your opinion in the comments below.