Former Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison is set to fight Julia Budd at the PFL World Championship event.
Kayla Harrison, a former judo Olympian, is poised for a comeback fight against former champion Julia Budd. In a recent announcement by the PFL, it was revealed that Harrison (15-1) will face Budd (17-6) at the league’s concluding event – the PFL World Championship, scheduled for November 24, at The Anthem in Washington D.C. This bout is Harrison’s first since her defeat to Larissa Pacheco in the 2022 lightweight tournament finals, an event that took place last November.
Prior to her encounter with Pacheco, Harrison had a sterling record of 15 victories in her professional career. Her prestigious judo journey includes two Olympic gold medals – the first American to achieve this feat in the sport. The gold medals came in the London 2012 games and later in the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics. In addition, she secured two PFL tournament crowns at 155 pounds, before finally being defeated by Pacheco, whom she had beaten twice beforehand.
Harrison’s November 24 fight with Budd is being marketed as a 145-pound showcase fight. It was earlier informed that Harrison was one of the initial fighters in the league’s super fight series, a setup distinct from its standard season and tournament format. On the other hand, Budd, the ex-Bellator featherweight champion, has had a discouraging PFL career to date. The Canadian has a 2-3 win-loss record in the SmartCage, since her debut in 2021, and a long-awaited fight against Harrison was called off last July after Budd suffered an injury. The PFL World Championship event will also host six championship finals, with the champions taking away a prize of $1,000,000 and the tournament title.