ARLINGTON, Texas – They don’t share the same sport, but [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] can respect the work Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano displayed in their historic boxing title fight last weekend.
Taylor overcame adversity to defeat Serrano in a split decision and retain her undisputed lightweight championship in front of a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden last Saturday. Taylor vs. Serrano arguably was the biggest and most high profile fight in women’s boxing history.
Harrison (12-0), a two-time PFL champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, has a new level of respect for Taylor and Serrano and what they were able to do for women’s boxing and women’s sports in general.
“For me as a female athlete and as woman in general, and I think just an athlete, it was super inspiring to watch,” Harrison told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the 2022 PFL 3 media day on Wednesday. “My hat goes off to both of them. They couldn’t have done a better job in the ring, out of the ring – class all the way.
“They raised women athletes to a whole new level that night. And I think that’s the goal besides trying to beat people up for money. The goal is to raise the bar and make it a little easier for the next generation so they don’t have to fight as hard to just get noticed. The goal is to take over.”
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Harrison returns to the cage this Friday in the main event of 2022 PFL 3, her first fight since re-signing with the promotion after a long free agency period. She takes on Marina Mokhnatkina in a lightweight bout. Harrison won the two previous seasons of women’s lightweight, capturing two titles and cashing two $1 million prizes. The 31-year-old is regarded by many as one of the best female fighters in MMA today.
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