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UFC women’s bantamweight contender Kayla Harrison has fans worried after she went through a brutal weight cut for her UFC 316 title fight against Julianna Pena.
Harrison, who won gold medals in Judo at 172 pounds and fought at 155 pounds for the majority of her MMA career, spoke about how hard it is for her to make 135 pounds.
“It’s torture, but everything I’ve wanted is on the other side of that torture. I feel like I become refined in the fire. It’s a very lonely process. It’s a much harder mental grind than I expected. First, it was this fear of, ‘Oh my gosh, can I do this?’ And now, it’s this fear of, ‘Oh my gosh, I know what I have to do in order to do this.’ It’s definitely not healthy. Don’t do this, kids. I do not recommend. My team is dialed in. It’s not easy but I believe in the end it will be worth it.”
On Friday, Harrison got emotional and teared up after making the 135-pound championship weight limit.
@jzosports
UFC fans on social media were worried about Harrison’s health after she appeared severely drained during her weigh-in.
In no world can Kayla Harrison keep making these 135 lb weight cuts. That looks like deaths door. Just look at her face and reaction. That reaction says……”F**k This Sh*t”…….And I thought Maycee looked terrible last weekend #UFC316 pic.twitter.com/mcoGhtdw1c
— Jay Henry (@jayhenry79) June 6, 2025
Kayla Harrison looks like she’s at death’s door making 135lbs.
Even if she beats Juliana Pena on Saturday, I can’t see her staying at the weight for that much longer.
If Amanda Nunes does come back, do the fight at 145lbs – for both of their sakes. #UFC316 pic.twitter.com/zkCNbCHlAb
— Chisanga Malata (@Chisanga_Malata) June 6, 2025