Kayla Harrison is not here for Demetrious ‘Mighty’ Johnson’s recent remarks about women’s MMA, and she made that clear in a conversation with Ariel Helwani ahead of her co-main event title mtch against Amanda Nunes at UFC 334 on November 14th at Madison Square Garden.
Helwani brought up the moment when Johnson and Israel Adesanya was seen laughing and commenting on women’s flyweight bout between Wang Cong and Natalia Silva. Harrison did not hold back.
“Yeah, man. I’m just like kind of over Mighty’s attitude,” Harrison said. “I’m over it.”
Harrison also revealed that Johnson, a UFC Hall of Famer, had suggested she should not fight Nunes at all and should instead step away from the sport.
“Well, first of all, I don’t know if you… He is the one that said I shouldn’t compete against Amanda. I should retire,” Harrison said.
She went further, explaining why she believes Johnson’s comments, and this mindset in general, are harmful to the growth of women’s MMA.
“I just think that like especially for retired athletes, but I think for all of us, this mindset of scarcity is detrimental to the growth of the sport,” Harrison said. “Like there’s enough room at the table for all of us to eat. And we don’t have to belittle or poke fun or like put down anyone else in order to build our own brand. Like I just I just don’t believe in that.”
Harrison pointed directly at the lack of investment in building new stars in the women’s divisions as the real issue, not a shortage of talent.
“And especially for a retired athlete, like of course, you know what? Those girls are not stars yet. But do you know how you build a star? You put them in the main event and you build them. You have to start somewhere. So like to talk trash about them like that I just feel is unnecessary. Super unnecessary,” Harrison said.
Kayla Harrison shares why she took issue with Demetrious Johnson’s recent comments about Natalia Silva and Wang Cong:
“I’m just kind of over Mighty’s attitude. I’m over it.
This mindset of scarcity is detrimental to the growth of the sport. There’s enough room at the table for all of us to eat, and we don’t have to belittle or poke fun or put down anyone else in order to build our own brand.
Of course those girls are not stars yet, but do you know how you build a star? You fucking put them in the main event, and you build them.
To talk shit about them like that, I just feel is unnecessary. Super unnecessary.”
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 14, 2026
