“You Need to Have Thicker Skin” – Ronda Rousey’s Advice to PFL Champion Kayla Harrison

PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison has been making waves in MMA since transitioning from Judo. She has now revealed the advice former UFC champion Ronda Rousey gave her before making the switch. The two-time Olympic Gold medalist in judo is one of the brightest prospects in MMA.

Training out of the American Top Team, Harrison has been fighting under the PFL banner. She is currently undefeated in her professional MMA career, having won the PFL 2018 and 2019 season.

Speaking to ESPN MMA’s Ariel Helwani, Harrison recounted how Ronda Rousey had given her some sound advice. Ronda, who also comes from a judo background, has seen it all in the sport. She has been to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

Read : Kayla Harrison Annihilates Courtney King in a Bloody Invicta FC Debut

Kayla Harrison on fans accusing her of PEDs

Having learned through experience, Rousey seemed happy to offer Kayla some insight. Harrison told Helwani, “That’s the one thing Ronda always told me about MMA. She was like, You need to have thicker skin or you’re going to get eaten alive.”

MMA can be an unforgiving sport at times with fighters often being accused of a variety of things. Fans have recently been accusing Harrison of using PEDs which Kayla finds absurd.

When Ariel brought up the topic, Kayla was eager to give her opinion, “Yeah, can we talk about this for a second…It really hurts my feelings.” 

The PFL champion continued, “I mean it doesn’t hurt my feelings, but it’s just like, it does get under my skin, man. Everyone’s always like, ‘You should take that as a compliment. You should take it as a compliment that people think you’re on steroids’. And I’m like, ‘Are you reading the things that these people are calling me?’ They’re calling me a man. They’re calling me Brock Lesnar.”

Being Drug tested since she was 13

Having been an Olympic athlete, Harrison has been drug tested throughout her career. Kayla went on to conclude, “I literally have been tested by USADA since I was 13 years old. They came to my middle school because I was on the national roster for Judo when I was 13. I made my first Olympic trials when I was 14. I’ve been getting drug tested by USADA since I was 13 years old.”

Kayla, who fights at lightweight in PFL, made her Invicta FC debut last week as she fought in the featherweight division. Her dominant performance against her bloodied opponent has left fans drooling for a fight between Kayla and UFC double champ, Amanda Nunes.

Read : “She’s the GOAT” – Kayla Harrison Will Never Say No to a Fight With Amanda Nunes