Kayla Harrison Dominates in Her UFC Debut

Kayla Harrison proved that she is a force to be reckoned with in her UFC debut against Holly Holm at UFC 300. Harrison showcased her elite judo and grappling skills in dominating Holm across two rounds before securing a second-round rear-naked choke submission.

Harrison came into her UFC debut with plenty of hype as a two-time Olympic judo gold medalist and double champion in PFL’s women’s lightweight division. However, there were still questions about how she would fare against top UFC competition in her first octagon appearance. Those questions were emphatically answered.

Dominant on the Ground and in the Standup

In the first round, Harrison was clearly the aggressor and dominated the action both in the clinch against the cage and on the ground. She scored with brutal elbows from top position and avoided any submission attempts from Holm.

To start the second round, Harrison wasted no time in taking Holm’s back. She sunk in the rear-naked choke with lightning speed, forcing a quick tap from the former champion. Harrison had made a successful transition to the UFC with a dominant display.

At the post-fight interview, Harrison made it clear that she has her sights set on UFC gold. She called for a title shot next to dethrone current bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington. After submitting a respected veteran like Holm, Harrison has surely earned her spot at the front of the title line with this breakout UFC debut performance.