Henry Cejudo believes Kayla Harrison can make 135 pounds. Whether or not she can recover in time to fight is a different question altogether.
On April 13, the two-time PFL world champion will make her highly anticipated promotional debut at UFC 300 when she meets former bantamweight titleholder Holly Holm. Upon hearing the announcement from Dana White, fighters and fans alike immediately questioned whether or not Harrison could make the 135-pound weight limit.
Harrison won two Olympic gold medals competing in the 78 kg (172 lb) weight category in judo. With the Professional Fighters League, she won back-to-back titles at 155.
Speaking on Harrison’s move to bantamweight, Henry Cejudo suggested that the Middletown, Ohio native could certainly make it down to 135. The biggest question is, can she recover in time to be the same dominant force she was competing at lightweight?
“Will she have the time to make it? 100%. But will she recover? That’s the biggest question, Cejudo said on his YouTube channel.
He continued, “She needs to make the weight if she’s going to compete, but it seems like if she doesn’t make the weight, Holly Holm wouldn’t fight her. Is Holly Holm wrong? No.
“Kayla Harrison has won her championships at a higher [weight class]. PFL even made a division for her, but Holly Holm is not wrong. Could a girl like Kayla Harrison make 155 pounds? And it’s not just about making it, guys. It’s about competing. Could she make it? 100%. But does she have enough water and enough fat… She has a lot of muscle and muscle is water.”
Holly Holm Has Already Taken Out One Gold-Medal-Winning Judoka
This won’t be the first time Holly Holm, a world-class striker and International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, has fought an Olympic gold medalist in judo. In November 2015, ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ stepped into the Octagon for her first UFC title fight against then-champion Ronda Rousey. Holm scored a second-round KO in what became one of the biggest upsets of all time.
“Stylistically, Holly Holm has fought everybody, but why don’t we take it back to her fighting Ronda Rousey. A judoka. Someone who knows that particular area of just getting people down to the ground and look what Holly Holm was able to do. If the judo of Kayla Harrison doesn’t work against Holly Holm, how do you think this fight is going to end up? Could this be Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm part two?
“Cause I tell you right now, the winner of this fight is going to be guaranteed the next title shot.”
UFC 298 saw Raquel Pennington claim the vacant bantamweight title against Mayra Bueno Silva. ‘Rocky’ will likely move on to a fight with Julianna Pena this summer, the winner of that bout then moving on to defend their title against the winner of Harrison vs. Holm.
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