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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 11: Kayla Harrison of United States celebrates his gold medal after the final women’s -78kgs at Carioca Arena 2 during Day 6 of the 2016 Rio Olympics on August 11, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images)
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 11: Kayla Harrison of United States celebrates his gold medal after the final women’s -78kgs at Carioca Arena 2 during Day 6 of the 2016 Rio Olympics on August 11, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images)
Kayla Harrison did not get to fight again in 2020 after her opponent failed to make weight by a considerably large margin. The judoka will now have to wait till 2021 to re-enter the cage and further her MMA career.
The 2019 PFL lightweight champion was set to fight Jozette Cotton at Titan FC 66. Unfortunately, the latter was hospitalized due to dehydration.
Ariel Helwani confirmed the news on Twitter with a string of tweets that read, “Kayla Harrison’s Titan FC fight, which was supposed to happen tomorrow, has been canceled, sources confirm. Harrison made weight for the lightweight fight (155), however, her opponent Jozette Cotton couldn’t get below — get this — 180 pounds.
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Kayla Harrison’s Titan FC fight, which was supposed to happen tomorrow, has been canceled, sources confirm. Harrison made weight for the lightweight fight (155), however, her opponent Jozette Cotton couldn’t get below — get this — 180 pounds.
First reported by @MyMMANews.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 16, 2020
Per Titan COO/matchmaker Lex McMahon, Cotton “never stepped on the scale officially. She was hospitalized due to dehydration and notified the promotion that she could not get below 180 pounds.”
Harrison tells me she offered to fight Cotton despite the 25-pound+ weight difference, but the commission refused. She even offered to weigh in again in an hour at 165, but no dice.”
Harrison tells me she offered to fight Cotton despite the 25-pound+ weight difference, but the commission refused. She even offered to weigh in again in an hour at 165, but no dice.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 16, 2020
It will be heartening to see that Harrison did all she could to ensure that the Titan FC catchweight bout went ahead. However, it may have been appropriate that the commission refused to sanction the bout.
Kayla Harrison can fight outside the promotion
Harrison was fresh off a second-round TKO against Courtney King at her featherweight debut at Invicta FC. Given the fact that the PFL canceled their season, she would have been looking to avoid any rust ahead of the 2021 regular season.
As the year has drawn to a close, it may be tough for Harrison to secure a fight before 2021. However, she will look to secure a bout at the earliest to give both herself and her opponent an adequate amount of time to make weight.
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LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 02: U.S. Olympian Kayla Harrison visits the USA House at the Royal College of Art on August 2, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for USOC)
Titan FC 66 aired live on UFC Fight Pass on Thursday night without this lightweight bout. Harrison’s fans would have been disappointed at her absence from the card.
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Read: ‘Careful What You Wish for!’- Henry Cejudo Responds to Kayla Harrison
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