For years, Kayla Harrison made a mark in MMA in UFC’s rival promotions before arriving in the Las Vegas-based promotion. The two-time Olympic gold medalist boasts a pretty big stature compared to the average woman, as she mostly fought as a lightweight. But that isn’t something that happens in Dana White‘s organization. To pursue her UFC dreams, Harrison had to come to terms with the fact that she would have to compete as a bantamweight for the first time in her life.
The Middleton, Ohio, native transitioned successfully to the bantamweight division. In her two UFC fights so far, she was able to cut down to 136 pounds. Hence, when Kayla Harrison got her title shot against Julianna Pena at UFC 316, there was a bit of a doubt about her ability to make it to the championship limit of 135 pounds in the UFC. Well, guess what? Harrison has a title fight in her hands, so she did exactly what was needed.
Kayla Harrison stepped on the scale during the UFC 316 weigh-ins, and she successfully reached the 135-pound limit. It seemed like she wasn’t sure if she would have made it because, after the weigh-in, Harrison appeared thankful, joining her hands and thanking God for helping her reach the championship weight limit. This was the first time that she had ever dropped down to 135 lbs.
Kayla Harrison at 136 for UFC 307 against 135 for #UFC316. pic.twitter.com/ecUldsOD9p
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) June 6, 2025
Meanwhile, after cutting down to the championship weight limit, fans were quite concerned about her body’s state. They shared their reactions to her weight cut, recalling a similar situation with a former UFC champion, Conor McGregor.
Kayla Harrison’s weight cut reminds fans of Conor McGregor
Remember UFC 194? Well, of course, you do. After all, that was the fight that made Conor McGregor the biggest name in the world of MMA as he won the undisputed featherweight title. But what was more intriguing was the Irishman’s weight cut. In his attempt to make it to 145 lbs, he looked absolutely skinny, which was the same sentiment fans had when they saw Kayla Harrison make 135 lbs. “Holy s–t she looks worse than Connor when he looked like skelator,” an astounded fan commented on a Reddit post.
Just like we mentioned earlier, fans were concerned about the implications of her massive weight. They were jarred by her appearance, as one fan commented, “Insane weight cut. She looks dead.” However, there’s something for Kayla Harrison to be happy about. Given how dangerous such massive cuts can be, the fans were totally supportive and appreciative of the former Olympic champion for her professionalism. As one fan commented, “The weight cut is honestly super impressive. Ngl,” another added, “God that cut would be absolute hell. Absolute warrior.”
Well, there was no doubt about Harrison’s professionalism since she became a world-class athlete long before her MMA debut. Meanwhile, fans are also counting down the amount of time she has to rehydrate, as she’ll be much bigger on Fight Night. On that note, a Reddit user stated, “Now she has 36 hours to re-hydrate and not feel like death. That’s a brutal cut for her.” On the other hand, some fans took some shots at UFC’s official sports drink, Prime, with one fan urging fans not to consume it. “This is what Prime Hydration drinks do to someone. Keep that in mind.”
Well, there is no conclusive evidence that suggests drinking Prime can cause people to get lean. But coming back to the fight this weekend, fans seem a bit worried about Julianna Pena and her title reign. With some hours left for Kayla Harrison to hydrate, the UFC fan base predicts a bad night for ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’. “Pena is going to get absolutely clarted bruv,” a fan added.
Well, there are health implications to losing so much weight, but thankfully, Kayla Harrison did just fine. It will be interesting to see if all this hard work pays off as we wait to see if she beats Julianna Pena to win the bantamweight title and etch her name in the history books. Let us know your thoughts on her weight cut in the comments below.
The post “Looks Worse Than [Conor McGregor]” – Kayla Harrison’s Torturous Weight Cut Ahead of UFC 316 Leaves Fans Baffled appeared first on EssentiallySports.
