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Where Does Kayla Harrison Train? Coach Mike Brown, Gym & More About the UFC Star’s Training

Published 04/13/2024, 8:54 AM EDT

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Kayla Harrison will make her much-awaited UFC debut this Saturday. The 33-year-old comes into the world’s biggest, most competitive MMA promotion with quite some hype behind her. And for very good reasons.

The first American to win an Olympic gold medal in judo, the two-time Olympic champion is one of the most accomplished judokas in the world. And part of the credit undoubtedly goes to her gym and head coach, Mike Brown, who has been with her throughout her MMA journey.

Where does Kayla Harrison train?

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After a distinguished judo career that saw her achieve the highest honors in the sport, Kayla Harrison made her transition to mixed martial arts in 2018. For her MMA stint, Harrison would join the famous American Top Team (ATT) gym in Coconut Creek, Florida.

ATT, of course, has been the home of UFC legends such as Jorge Masvidal, Dustin Poirier, and even arguably the greatest female MMA fighter ever, Amanda Nunes. And the world-class training by her coaches there has been consequential since she has won sixteen fights (and lost one) in the five years since she made her MMA debut.

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The 33-year-old’s head coach is Mike Brown, who believes she will be in peak condition for the fight despite the weight cut. Perhaps this is why he has helped her transition so successfully to the new sport while leveraging her world-class judo skills to great effect.

As she sets up for her debut in the world’s most popular mixed martial arts promotion, the valuable experience of her coaches at the ATT as well as having top MMA fighters as teammates and sparring partners would prove valuable in her first foray into the UFC. Especially against Holly Holm, who can spring surprises.

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Holm is a dangerous opponent for Harrison, despite the odds

While most fighters are not expected to do well on their UFC debut due to the pressure and intensity of fighting on the biggest stage in the world, However, this is not the case for Kayla Harrison. The debutante is coming into the bout as the betting favorite.

However, Holly Holm has a knack for derailing hype trains, having stopped Ronda Rousey’s hype train back in 2015 with a head-kick knockout over Rousey, handing ‘Rowdy’ her first MMA loss. Which is why Holm is a very dangerous opponent for the former PFL champion, at least on paper.

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While Harrison is expected to beat Holm by most, it has put added pressure on the Ohio native for her much-hyped UFC debut. A win against Holm, who is ranked #5 in the women’s bantamweight division, will see the debutante get into the title mix right away. A loss, along with causing a loss of prestige, would probably see her fight a few more top-10 prospects before she can make a case for a title shot.

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Written by:

Kanishk Thakur

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Kanishk Thakur is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports with nearly 5 years of professional writing experience. Kanishk has expertly covered the heated rivalries of the fight game, and delivered meticulous reports of payouts of PPV events and Fight Nights, in addition to covering the personal side of fighters outside the sport. He is also an ardent Joe Rogan fan, who hopes to draw in more fans to the sport as Rogan did for him.
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