Kayla Harrison looks to move one step closer to a title shot this Saturday at UFC 307.
But for her former boss, Donn Davis of the PFL, Harrison’s decision to depart his promotion was a disappointment.
Speaking to Din Thomas and Alan Jouban on MMA Today recently, Davis explained his feelings.
“I’m disappointed that we couldn’t keep Kayla here,” Davis said. “For what I think are the two biggest fights of her legacy.
“I don’t like that she ran from those.”
"I'm disappointed that we couldn't keep Kayla here for, what I think, are the two biggest fights of her legacy…I don't like that she ran from those."@DonnDavisPFL on Kayla Harrison leaving @PFLMMA to seek 'validation' in the UFC
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) October 1, 2024
Source: MMA Today w/@DinThomas & @AlanJouban pic.twitter.com/VSIe1w2e4P
Davis was referring to fights with Larissa Pacheco and Cris Cyborg.
Pacheco handed Harrison her only career loss to date, claiming PFL gold. Meanwhile, the promotion would secure the contract of Cyborg upon purchasing Bellator MMA.
After earning two Olympic gold medals, Harrison signed with PFL, becoming a two-time champion in the process.
Davis added that “I don’t like that she ran to a brand to validate herself. I think so highly of Kayla that she doesn’t need a brand to validate her.
“She’s that great,” he said. “So that disappointed me.”
For now, Harrison has her sights set on Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307. She submitted Holly Holm in her Octagon debut earlier this year.
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