Kayla Harrison said a prayer as she hit the scales at UFC 316’s official weigh-ins.
And there’s no surprise Harrison felt so relieved, considering the gruelling weight cut she has been forced to endure in the past week.
Harrison weighed in at the championship weight of 135 lbs on Friday as she gears up for a bantamweight title fight with Julianna Pena at UFC 316 on Saturday.
Concerns were flagged for the two-time Olympic gold medallist ahead of the weigh-ins.
Although Harrison has weighed in at 136 lbs for her last two UFC fights, fans questioned whether she would be able to shred the extra pound needed to make limit for a women’s bantamweight title fight.
Those questions were answered on Friday when Harrison, like a true professional, made weight, though her skeletal appearance was cause for concern among UFC fans.
One took to X and posted: “She looks like death holy s***.”
Another added: “Sickening. Ban weight cutting.”
A third said: “Looks insane,” and a fourth responded: “She looks emaciated.
While a fifth added: “She looks dead. If she wins tomorrow, only the Amanda Nunes fight is left for her. No way she can keep making weight.”
Harrison has asserted ahead of UFC 316 that she wants to pursue a fight with one of the greatest female fighters of all time in Nunes, should she get past Pena.
Nunes is one of four UFC fighters to hold two titles in the promotion simultaneously and has been rumoured to make a U-turn on her 2023 retirement this year.
Harrison weighed in at exactly 135 lbs ahead of her UFC 316 co-main eventGetty GettyShe is 18-1 in MMA and takes on Pena for the women’s bantamweight title this weekend[/caption]Other fans had praised Harrison’s ability to make the weight in the first place.
“This woman is a top top pro,” one said. “We all know that weight cut is mad tough for her.”
A second added: “Have to applaud her professionalism.”
More people hit out at the UFC for their brutal weight cuts.
Another said: “The UFC needs to stop this s***. One day one of these fighters will suffer a serious injury – this isn’t healthy.”
And a second wrote: “Weight cutting is so dumb. She looks like she’s dying (and probably is to some degree). Look what happened to Maycee Barber last week. Insane and pointless.”
Harrison looked a shadow of her appearance at the weigh ins just 24 hours beforeGetty She is aiming to become a UFC champion in just her third fight in the promotionGettyMaycee Barber suffered a seizure before her main event with Erin Blanchfield this past weekend and was unable to fight, although there is no confirmation it was related to her weight cut.
Harrison, meanwhile, is aiming to become a UFC champion in just her third fight for the promotion.
She submitted veteran Holly Holm on her promotional debut at UFC 300 in April 2024 before going the distance and securing a unanimous decision win over Ketlen Vieira six months later.
Harrison has gone back and forth with Pena for weeks and the pair came to blows one final time at UFC 316’s press conference on Thursday.
“Kayla, how are you going to beat me?” Pena asked Harrison during the press conference.
“Like I asked you the last time. Are you going to lay on top of me and cook the clock for 25 minutes?
“Because that’s literally your only chance to victory. That’s your only chance to beat me is laying on top of me for 25 minutes.”
Harrison then responded with an all-time one line classic as she attacked Pena’s record.
the line of the press conference after she brought up Pena’s record compared to her own.
“How are you going to beat me?” Harrison said. “You’ve been stopped three times.
“You’re 13-5. You’ve lost more fights than I’ve lost rounds in MMA.”
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