Kayla Harrison Details Mental, Physical Improvements Made During Downtime in 2023

For the most part, Kayla Harrison has been an extremely active competitor since making her professional mixed martial arts debut in 2018.

With the exception of the COVID-altered 2020 campaign, the two-time Olympic gold medalist fought at least three times a year — and usually four — from 2018 through 2022. That changed this year, when Harrison was sidelined as the Professional Fighters League introduced a featherweight division. The two-time 155-pound champion revealed earlier in the year that it wasn’t necessarily her choice to sit out the season. However, she gained valuable perspective in multiple aspects of her life during her downtime.

Much of that had little to do with fighting.

“I was still in the gym training every day. I went from training twice a day pretty much year round to training once a day, focusing on where I can get better — a lot of the holes in my game,” Harrison said during a PFL media day. “But the biggest gains I feel like I made mentally and I would argue, even spiritually. I grew as a person and I kind of found out who I was if I wasn’t Kayla Harrison ‘Olympic champion’, if I wasn’t Kayla Harrison ‘world champion’ — if I was just Kayla.

“It has brought me a peace, and God has brought me a peace that can’t be f—ed with. It’s a great time for me. I’m feeling good. I’m excited. I just have a totally different mindset going into this year and this fight, just one of gratitude vs. pressure. It’s been fantastic.”

Harrison will make her first appearance of 2023 when she faces Aspen Ladd in a 150-pound catchweight showcase fight on the main card of the PFL Championship event on Nov. 24 in Washington, D.C. The evening’s main card is available on pay-per-view via ESPN+ beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

While Harrison has a different mindset than in previous years, her goals within MMA haven’t changed.

“Absolutely not,” she said. “I did have to get really still and examine my life, goals and choices and figure out is this what I really want. There’s still that fire in my heart, there’s still that desire to go down as undeniably one of the greatest to ever do it.”

During those months at American Top Team without having a fight of her own scheduled, Harrison says she was able to work on areas of her game while serving as a training partner for her teammates. That allowed her to focus on specific weaknesses without the concern of an upcoming opponent.

“Fighting is a solo sport, but you really have to have people around you to test you, push you and make you uncomfortable in order to get with that next level,” she said. “I’ve been training and being uncomfortable with no goal for 10 months. I was in the gym every day and uncertain — but certain that I wanted to be there and get better.

“I did only striking rounds. I did rounds where I’m only on the bottom. I did rounds where there’s eight-time BJJ world champions on my back trying to take my neck off. I’ve done rounds where there’s world-class kickboxers trying to kick my head off. I think that has allowed me the space to grow and realize that MMA is like everything else: You’ve got to find a way, dig deep, you’ve got to figure it out and keep your composure.”

Harrison’s last fight produced one of 2022 biggest upsets, as she dropped a unanimous decision to Larissa Pacheco — someone she had beaten twice previously — in the lightweight final. It was really the only time Harrison was truly tested. On most occasions, she dictated the action against overwhelmed opposition.

“I think it’s safe to say for my previous 15 fights I was kind of a front-runner and I was kind of a bully,” she said. “I just went in there and did my thing. There are going to be times that you don’t win every exchange of every round. How you handle that is important. I got comfortable there.”

With nearly a full year of experience in the gym accompanied by a newfound inner peace, Harrison could be that much more dangerous as a fighter.

“I think I’m coming into this year and this fight as a different fighter completely. I’m much more well rounded. I think my comfort level has increased. I think my range finding ability, my striking, just my fight IQ in general has gone up a level,” she said. “A lot of it is confidence and comfort. I got really comfortable being uncomfortable this past year and still trying to find a way to win. … I just have a different level of composure inside the cage.”