Kayla Harrison has received a chilling reminder ahead of her upcoming UFC 300 bout. Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo and former PFL lightweight champion, recently made her move to the UFC where she’ll be competing in the bantamweight division at 135 lbs. The move has caused eyebrows to be raised as Harrison has spent her PFL career fighting at a higher weight limit of 155 lbs.
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As such, UFC welterweight legend, Matt Brown, recently revealed his thoughts on the move by Harrison. In his statement, he conveyed his concern for the fighter as he highlighted the adverse impact cutting massive amounts of weight can have on a fighter’s health and negatively affect their performance!
Kayla Harrison served a harsh reality check by UFC veteran
In his statement for ‘The Fighter vs The Writer’, Brown emphasized the importance of a healthy approach to weight cutting and expressed concerns about the extreme dehydration athletes like Harrison put themselves through for the sport.
He stated, “We always talk about this, doing it the right way. There’s no right way to almost kill yourself. You’re not supposed to be that dehydrated. I know my lean body mass. I know how hydrated I am. I know all these details about my body. I’m not supposed to be 170 pounds.”
In a succinct critique, Brown challenged the notion that, no matter how diligently one follows the weight-cutting process, shedding the last few pounds can be an extremely challenging and unhealthy endeavor.
Matt Brown on difficult weight cuts: "There's no right way to almost kill yourself."
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His skepticism also extends to Kayla Harrison’s move to the 135-pound weight class, as he stated, “I would put money Kayla Harrison is not supposed to be 135 pounds. So no matter how perfect you do everything, those last few pounds suck horribly.”
Brown’s stance underscores the broader conversation in combat sports about the potential risks associated with extreme weight cutting. As fighters strive to meet specific weight requirements, the UFC veteran has emphasized the need for a balanced and health-conscious approach rather than pushing the body to potentially harmful extremes.
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Nevertheless, Harrison’s opponent for her UFC 300 bout has also recently revealed her thoughts on the possible issues that may arise in their clash at the new weight class for the former PFL champion!
Holly Holm wants Harrison to be “professional” about her UFC debut
Holly Holm eagerly anticipates her upcoming clash with Kayla Harrison at UFC 300 as speculation has surrounded whether Harrison, a former PFL champion at 155 pounds, can successfully cut to 135 pounds to compete in the bantamweight division.
During a recent appearance on the MMA Hour, Holm expressed, “As long as it’s not one of those things where it’s like, ‘I’ll get close enough and then hopefully still get the fight,’ nothing like that. Be professional about it and make weight and we’re ready to rock and roll.”
Despite her lack of knowledge about Harrison’s weight-cutting details, Holm stated that she has trust in Harrison’s professionalism and her team’s expertise in making the move to bantamweight a success. This trust is indicative of the faith Holm has placed in her opponent’s commitment to meeting the weight requirement for their upcoming bout. As the anticipation builds for UFC 300, it remains to be seen if Harrison can cut to 135 lbs. successfully or not!
Do you think Matt Brown is right in regards to his statements about Kayla Harrison’s choice to move to a lower weight class? Why or Why not? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
