“It Had a Big Impact on My Life”: Olympic Gold Medalist Judoka Kayla Harrison Comes Clean on First-Ever MMA Loss

When an MMA fighter has only tasted the sweetness of victories, a loss can be a major bump in the road. This often paves the way for some fighters to lose confidence and end up having more losses. In combat sports, faith in oneself and sportsman spirit go a long way. In November 2022, the two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka, Kayla Harrison, faced the first loss in her MMA career.

Harrison fought in the lightweight tournament of the Professional Fighters League against Larrisa Pacheco on November 25, 2022. After a five-round, fierce battle, Harrison lost the bout via unanimous decision. The loss was the biggest shock for the undefeated fighter, as it was the least unexpected. Nonetheless, being a true sportsperson, she didn’t play the blame game but instead accepted what had happened.

The undying spirit of Kayla Harrison

After her loss against Pacheco, she has not stepped up to fight an opponent; however, through her latest interview, she proved that she is more “dangerous” now. The American fighter was talking to The Schmo, where she mentioned her feelings about her first career loss. Harrison said, “Honestly, it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. Well, besides my kids. It had a big impact on my life and shifted my life in a really positive way.” She also added that the last fight was motivating her to come back stronger to fight her next opponent.

 She detailed the change in her mindset following the loss, “I’m not fighting from a place of fear or ‘gotta win, I gotta win I gotta win’ anymore. I’m fighting from a place of happiness and peace and I think that makes me way more dangerous.” Harrison also reinforces how she didn’t leave any stones unturned for her last bout. However, things didn’t go as planned, which is unfortunate.

The impact of her first loss

It was indeed great for the fans to see Harrison’s positive attitude. The world remembers how she struggled to hold back her tears during the post-fight press conference. Nonetheless, she appreciated her opponent for being a better fighter and told the MMA world that she did not want to make silly excuses.

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The Olympian admitted the tactical errors she made, which Harrison wanted to work more on. In the press meet, the 32-year-old also stated how she has lost multiple times in judo, but that things are different in MMA. She was disheartened by the fact that she had lost her title. At this moment, the fans need to wait with patience to see how her fighting career moves forward.

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