Two-time PFL light-weight champion Kayla Harrison has signed with the UFC, and he or she’s agreed to chop all the way down to bantamweight to face Holly Holm in her octagon debut at UFC 300.
Harrison’s former foe, Larissa Pacheco, isn’t assured that the Olympian can hit the mark for the April 13 occasion.
Pacheco, a two-division champion within the PFL at 155 and 145 kilos, stated in an interview with MMA Combating that the most important query going into UFC 300 is whether or not or not Harrison will be capable to hit 135 the morning earlier than.
“Let’s see if she will make weight first,” Pacheco stated. “To chop [weight] with all that muscle she has, she must be prepared. I don’t know if it’s simpler now that the UFC doesn’t work with USADA anymore, if she will use some juice or one thing like that [laughs] as a result of being that massive, she has to do one thing to make weight. Let’s see if she will do it.”
UFC CEO Dana White lately stated the American High Group athlete made test cuts earlier than agreeing to the match. Harrison competed her whole profession as a light-weight, aside from one featherweight showdown at Invicta FC and her final PFL bout, a featherweight bout that was moved to 150-pound catchweight after Aspen Ladd changed Julia Budd on three weeks’ discover.
The burden lower gained’t be simple for Harrison, who competed as excessive as 172 kilos as an Olympic judoka, Pacheco stated. The Brazilian vet additionally stated Harrison won’t be in her prime anymore at 33. Holly Holm will not be at her finest both, having misplaced by submission to Mayra Bueno Silva in her most up-to-date bout, however being a pure bantamweight may give her a bonus.
“[Holm] won’t be in her prime, however she has big expertise and is used to chopping that weight and competing in that weight class, whereas Kayla is doing it for the primary time,” Pacheco stated. “I don’t know, possibly Holly wins this struggle. Aspen wasn’t in an excellent second and nonetheless gave [Harrison] hassle in that struggle. To say that [Harrison] is preventing on the highest degree in opposition to everybody, she’s not. It’s clear. She may be in nice form, however her performances aren’t good.”
The PFL champion will cheer for Holm to be victorious at UFC 300 given her three-fight rivalry with Harrison, which ended at 2-1 in favor of the American. Nonetheless, Pacheco added that an eventual victory for Harrison within the UFC “is nice parameter for me, since I’ve overwhelmed her, and I do know I can beat her once more, and I’ll have an thought concerning the degree [of competition in the UFC].”
“Nothing in opposition to Kayla,” she continued. “However she’s a former opponent, and that can by no means change. I really feel she’s a distinct individual in entrance of the digicam, she’s cocky, and that’s not who I’m. I speak to everyone, I respect everyone.
“She was at all times very boastful towards everyone within the group. The way in which she walked, how she acted, at all times portraying herself because the queen of MMA. I simply don’t assume she is going to do this effectively within the UFC. It’s going to take a while for her to step to a brand new weight class. She may do effectively, however her performances, I don’t assume she is going to ship that a lot.”
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