Kayla Harrison dominates and submits Holly Holm in debut at UFC 300
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to us tonight, April 13, 2024, for the biggest event mixed martial arts has ever put on, UFC 300, going down live from the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
Headlining the event is a light-heavyweight title bout between former UFC middleweight champion and current UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (9-2), who aims to make the first defense of his title in tonight’s main event opposing no. 1 ranked former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill (13-1).
Co-headlining the event is also a title fight, this one going down at 115 lbs as UFC strawweight champion Weili Zhang (24-3) is set to battle no. 1 ranked Yan Xiaonan in the first ever China versus China title fight in UFC history.
Our feature fight of the evening comes in the lightweight division between no. 2 ranked Justin Gaethje (25-4) and former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway (25-7), who will slug it out for the BMF title in our third PPV bout of the evening.
The second preliminary bout tonight showcased one of the most anticipated UFC debuts in recent memory when no. 5 ranked former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm (15-7) welcomed former two-time PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison (17-1) to the UFC.
Holm is a multi-time world champion in boxing and kickboxing, while Harrison is a multi-time world champion in Judo, including a pair of Olympic Games gold medals in back-to-back Olympic cycles, and each of them have reached the mountain top in this sport as well.
After 15 of her first 17 professional bouts went down at 155 lbs, how did Kayla Harrison do in her 135 lb debut?
Continue reading to see how this bantamweight affair went down:
Official Result: Kayla Harrison def. Holly Holm via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:47 of round two
Harrison tied up with Holm in the opening minute of the bout, Holm surprisingly choosing to press her into the fence, where Harrison hit a beautiful hip toss. Holm reversed the position almost immediately however, Harrison getting back to her feet and controlling Holm along the fence.
Harrison secured a trip takedown shortly following and unloaded with a series of nasty punches and elbows from top position through the second half of the opening round.
Harrison partially landed a head kick early in the second and nearly secured a takedown following, before wrapping up a guillotine choke. After letting the choke go she took Holm back down and mounted her, where Holm gave up her back and was submitted.
Kayla Harrison destroys and finishes Holly in round 2! pic.twitter.com/ieq3G96yME
— TakeruCigarra (@TakeruCigarra) April 14, 2024
This is one of the most dominant UFC debuts we’ve ever seen inside the octagon. And despite Holly Holm being 42 years of age, she’s still a top contender that was 5-2 (1 NC) in her last eight and no one has done that to her before.
Kayla Harrison may just be the best active female bantamweight fighter in the world right now.
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