Arguably one of the most interesting potential challenges in undefeated Professional Fighters League star Kayla Harrison’s career has just gone up in smoke.
Young will come into this battle on a losing streak and a flat record of .500, with 12 wins opposite 12 defeats and a 2012 draw with Leslie Smith interspersed among them. The former Invicta Fighting Championships competitor-turned matchmaker and WMMA pioneer Young has shifted from bantamweight to lightweight over the years, beating the likes of Miesha Tate, Julie Kedzie and Reina Miura in a career that began in 2007. “The Striking Viking” celebrates a knockout rate of 67% as a pro, with all but one of her stoppages coming in the first two rounds.
Two-time champ Harrison has not formally cinched a spot in the playoffs yet, as she claimed a unanimous decision over Marina Mokhnatkina to put an end to a five-fight stoppage streak that encompassed her whole million-dollar run in 2021. While Harrison became a restricted free agent after taking home the gold in the 2021 PFL Championships, she ultimately re-signed with PFL in hopes of capturing another $1 prize. The two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo will come into this pairing with a 77% finish rate under her belt.
Harrison vs. Young will serve as the new headliner of PFL 6: 2022 Regular Season on July 1, which will go down at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. The co-headliner will see Rory MacDonald square off with Sadibou Sy at welterweight. Other key matchups on its main card include a pair of 170-pound tilts for former champs when Ray Cooper III faces Brett Cooper, while Magomed Magomedkerimov battles it out with Joao Zeferino.