TLDR
- Kayla Harrison lost to Ronda Rousey twice in judo competition when she was 15 years old
- Harrison claims she would beat Rousey now, citing her two Olympic gold medals versus Rousey’s one bronze
- Harrison questioned the quality of opponents Rousey faced during her UFC championship run
- Harrison won every major judo competition including two Olympic golds, World Masters, and World Championships
- Harrison defends her UFC bantamweight title against Amanda Nunes on November 14 at Madison Square Garden
Sources: sherdog.com | sports.yahoo.com
UFC women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison says she would beat Ronda Rousey in her prime, despite losing to her twice in judo competition. Harrison made the comments during an appearance on the “Deep Waters” podcast.
Harrison holds a 19-1 professional MMA record and currently holds the UFC title. She acknowledged Rousey’s role in growing women’s mixed martial arts but questioned whether the former champion could submit her.
Kayla Harrison when asked how a fight between her and prime Ronda Rousey would go:
🗣️ Kayla: "How do you think that would go?"
🗣️ Weidman: "Her armbars were ridiculous though."
🗣️ Kayla: "We learned the armbar at the same gym together. You think she is going to armbar me?… pic.twitter.com/QnZbeJpRGx
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) October 12, 2026
“We learned the armbar at the same gym together,” Harrison said. “You think she’s going to armbar me? Don’t be disrespectful now.”
Questions About Rousey’s Competition
Harrison criticized the level of opponents Rousey faced during her UFC title reign. Rousey defended her championship six times before losing to Holly Holm in 2015.
“She did [so much for women’s MMA], but dominating women who picked up gloves three years ago at a cardio-kickboxing class and said, ‘I think I’m going to try this,'” Harrison said. “She paved the way. I’m standing on her shoulders, and for that, I am grateful.”
The two fighters first met in judo competition when Harrison was 15 years old. Rousey beat Harrison twice during their judo careers.
Rousey went on to win a bronze medal in judo at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Harrison captured gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Harrison’s Judo Accomplishments
Harrison pointed to her superior judo resume as evidence she would win a fight against Rousey today. Her list of achievements in the sport extends well beyond her two Olympic gold medals.
“I have won every single world cup, every single grand prix, every single grand slam,” Harrison said. “I won the world masters twice. I won the world championships and took three bronze medals and I won the Olympics twice.”
Harrison said her accomplishments prove she can surpass anything Rousey achieved. “So, of course I thought I could do it because anything she can do, I can do better,” she said.
Harrison won the UFC bantamweight title earlier this year. She defeated Julianna Pena to claim the championship.
Rousey retired from MMA in 2016 after losing to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. She finished her career with a 12-2 professional record.
Harrison will make her first title defense against Nunes on November 14. The fight will take place at UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Nunes is a former two-division UFC champion who held both the bantamweight and featherweight titles. She retired in 2023 but returned to competition earlier this year.
The matchup pairs Harrison against the only woman who defeated Rousey by knockout. Nunes stopped Rousey in just 48 seconds in their 2016 fight.
