PFL star Kayla Harrison has revealed a crucial piece of advice she received from former UFC champ Ronda Rousey earlier in her career.
Like Rousey, Harrison is a former Olympic judoka who later turned her attention to mixed martial arts.
At present Harrison is a member of the PFL roster, where she won gold in 2019 and is poised for more big fights in 2021. Rousey, on the other hand, captured titles in the Strikeforce and UFC cages en route to becoming one of the biggest stars in MMA history, but disappeared from the sport after a pair of knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.
As stars of the judo world, Harrison and Rousey know each other quite well. Speaking to ESPN after a win over Courtney King in the Invicta cage, Harrison revealed a piece of advice she received from Rousey before she made her transition from judo to MMA.
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“That’s the one thing Ronda always told me about MMA,” Harrison said, admitting that she sometimes reads negative comments about her fights on social media. “She was like ‘you need to have thicker skin or you’re going to get eaten alive.’ Because I am a little bit of a sensitive person.”
After pummelling King in the Invicta cage, Kayla Harrison is now 8-0 as a pro mixed martial artist. The highlight of her unbeaten record is capturing the PFL lightweight championship—and the ensuing $1M prize—in 2019. She’ll look to replicate that feat when the league resumes its normal schedule in 2021.
Ronda Rousey, meanwhile, retired from MMA with a 12-2 overall record. Highlights of her resume include title wins in Strikeforce and the UFC, and wins over Miesha Tate (twice), Liz Carmouche, Sara McMann, Alexis Davis, and Cat Zingano. After retiring from MMA, she briefly moved to the WWE ring, but now seems to be finished with life in the public eye.
What do you think of the advice Rousey gave Harrison?