Kayla Harrison fires back at Ronda Rousey: ‘I've beaten everything she's ever done'
UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison says Ronda Rousey’s recent attacks are rooted in jealousy over being eclipsed at every level of competition.
Speaking during the UFC Vegas 116 pre-fight show, as reported by MMA Fighting, Harrison addressed Rousey’s repeated insults ahead of the former champion’s comeback fight against Gina Carano on May 16. Rousey had called Harrison a “bitch” multiple times while promoting the Netflix bout and complained about UFC pay rates compared to a decade ago. Harrison suggested Rousey’s anger comes from watching someone match and exceed her achievements in both judo and mixed martial arts.
“I can’t imagine what it would be like for someone to come in and beat everything I’ve ever done,” Harrison said with a smile, per MMA Mania. “That would probably be hard.”
Harrison challenges Rousey’s claim to greatness
Harrison won Olympic gold medals in judo in 2012 and 2016, topping Rousey’s 2008 bronze. She now holds the UFC bantamweight title Rousey once carried and is set to face Amanda Nunes later this year after recovering from neck surgery that postponed their January date at UFC 324. Nunes handed Rousey two brutal knockout losses before the pioneer retired in 2016.
The champion dismissed Rousey’s promotion of the Carano fight as one of the most-watched events of all time, noting that viewership does not equal competitive significance. “The part that bothers me most about Ronda is at one point she was a real athlete,” Harrison said. “She was training for the Olympics. She became a UFC champion. She was really trying to chase greatness.” Harrison credited Rousey as the most important female fighter in MMA history but drew a sharp line between their current pursuits. “This fight is not the greatest fight of all time,” she said of Rousey-Carano. “It’s between someone who hasn’t fought in ten years and is coming off two knockout losses and another woman who hasn’t fought in seventeen years and is in her forties. I’m chasing greatness. You’re chasing money. We’re different.”
Harrison is expected to return to action before the end of 2026, with the Nunes fight looming as the biggest test of her UFC run. Rousey has said she will retire after facing Carano unless a rematch is needed.
Original reporting:
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