PFL CEO Peter Murray says he’s disappointed Kayla Harrison decided to sign with the UFC.
Earlier this week, UFC CEO Dana White made a surprising announcement that the promotion has signed Kayla Harrison to fight Holly Holm at UFC 300 at bantamweight. The news caught many by surprise as most weren’t aware that Harrison was a free agent but Murray says they wish Harrison well.
“Listen, we wish Kayla well. She’s a two-time champion with us, women’s 155, and she’s moving on to UFC. She’s going to be on a historic card, which I believe is a testament to the level and quality of talent in the PFL,” Peter Murray said at a PFL press conference. “We wish her well. It’s going to be interesting to see Kayla fighting in the 135 division, but [we wish] nothing but the best, nothing but love. We’ll continue to be excited about supporting women in the sport. We have some of the best women on the planet in combat sports.”
Murray says he wouldn’t go into contract details of how Harrison was able to sign with the UFC, but he says the PFL will be supportive of her.
PFL ‘disappointed’ Harrison-Cyborg fight won’t happen
Although Peter Murray says the PFL will be supportive of Kayla Harrison in the UFC, he admits the promotion is disappointed that she won’t fight Cris Cyborg.
“We’re disappointed that fight between Cyborg and Kayla did not happen,” Murray said. “Kayla chose not to make it happen and move on to her next chapter. We had the fight that matters. The fight that matters most. Candidly, the biggest fight in women’s sports, in MMA. Ultimately, Kayla made a decision to move on. We wanted to make that fight, but once again, we’re going to continue building what we’re building. We have a great PFLW roster, and in respect to contract details, it’s all good. We’re supportive of Kayla.”
Harrison vs. Cyborg was arguably the biggest fight PFL could make, and with Harrison gone, it’s uncertain who Cyborg will face next.
