Kayla Harrison crushes Holly Holm at UFC 300, bantamweight title shot should be next

Kayla Harrison is for real.

If there were any remaining doubters about the former two-time Professional Fighters League (PFL) Lightweight champion, they’ve surely been silenced. Harrison, 33, needed just under two minutes into round two to submit Holly Holm (watch highlights) in her Octagon and Bantamweight debut at UFC 300 in Las Vegas tonight (Sat., April 13, 2024).

The opening frame saw the new Bantamweight, Harrison, jab her way inside the former UFC champion to clinch up. A picture-perfect judo throw saw the two-time Olympic gold medalist reversed briefly, but she quickly got to her feet and brought Holm back to the mat in an advantageous position. From there, Harrison smashed away to the end of the round, landing 46 significant strikes to none. No signs of depletion from the weight cut to see here.

Round two was more of the same, as Harrison looked to get revenge for Ronda Rousey with some nice head-kick attempts. Ultimately, Holm squirmed underneath her physically imposing counterpart and succumbed to a rear-naked choke.

The result was perfect for the wasteland that has become the women’s Bantamweight division. Harrison (17-1) is a much-needed injection of life, having never fought any other 135-pound fighters outside of Holm. There have been no new contenders rising to the occasion, no youthful prospects, nothing. Until now.

Julianna Pena has been the most likely and talked about title challenger for recently-crowned champion, Raquel Pennington. However, the former champion, Pena, has been out of action since she dominantly lost the title to Amanda Nunes (watch highlights) in July 2022. If we can avoid title shots to fighters coming off losses, we should.

Sure, injuries prevented Pena from returning for the vacant title tilt that saw Pennington defeat Mayra Bueno Silva via a unanimous decision at UFC 297 in January 2024. However, Harrison is already a made superstar from PFL and dominated her debut against Holm, who is rarely seen looking so helpless.

Pennington, an incredibly respectable veteran, doesn’t have the “it” factor, unfortunately. Harrison, on the other hand, always has but lived up to it after consistently having her competition questioned in her previous 17 fights outside UFC. That’s all that matters for UFC from a business perspective and awarding a title shot. Overall, it’s a fresh, and now justifiable, match up that works from all angles.

Pennington has already defeated six of the contenders currently ranked in the Top 10. No one else has a clear case. That changed at UFC 300. Pennington vs. Harrison, let’s not beat around the bush, UFC.

For complete UFC 300 results, coverage and highlights click HERE.