As the only current American champion in the UFC, Kayla Harrison absolutely expects to compete at the White House.
Harrison (19-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is gearing up for her first bantamweight title defense against former UFC two-division champion Amanda Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC) – but before the June UFC event in Washington D.C. The two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka mapped out her ideal plan and will keep her eyes peeled on the UFC 322 co-main event between flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko and Zhang Weili on Nov. 15.
“There is a fight on the horizon,” Harrison said on Jorge Masvidal’s “Death Row MMA” podcast. “It’s not booked yet. It’s a fight that we all want to see happen, and it’s going to happen sooner rather than later, before that (White House event). My perfect world, I fight soon, and then I fight again at the White House. For sure I am going to be on the White House card. I’m the only American champion.
“I am going to whoop her ass real quick, and then in my perfect world, either Valentina beats Weili and then we do like a USA vs. Russia ‘Rocky 4’ style or everybody has been talking about Ronda’s (Rousey) coming back, so that would be great. Or whoever’s next in line. I literally don’t care. I’ll fight anybody.”
Harrison squared off with the returning Nunes in the octagon immediately after submitting Julianna Peña to claim the bantamweight title at UFC 316 in June.
