Kayla Harrison, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and rising star in the UFC, has found herself at the center of controversy as she prepares for her upcoming bout against Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 on October 5th in Salt Lake City. The muscular bantamweight has been facing accusations of performance-enhancing substance use, allegations she vehemently denies.
“I’m all natural and always have been,” Harrison stated emphatically in a recent interview with ESPN. “I have worked my posterior off since I was 12 years old, and I’m proud of it.”
In her debut, Joe Rogan compared her to Vitor Belfort saying: ‘Her back is huge, It’s like Vitor Belfort’
Belfort, of course, was infamously on PEDs for years, utlimately melting once UFC started the USADA era.
The 33-year-old athlete pointed out that she has been subject to testing by the USADA since her middle school days when she first joined the National judo roster. Harrison emphasized her commitment to clean competition, stating, “I have never taken any … and I never will. I don’t believe in it, especially in our sport where it is borderline dangerous when you are inflicting damage on each other. I would never taint my legacy in that way.”
The accusations have been fueled in part by Harrison’s impressive physique and her successful weight cut from 155 pounds to 135 pounds for her UFC debut at UFC 300, where she dominated Holly Holm. Adding to the speculation, her own manager once referred to her as “Ronda Rousey on st*roids,” a comparison Harrison is quick to dismiss.
Despite the distractions, Harrison remains focused on her upcoming fight and her long-term goal of capturing the UFC women’s bantamweight title. She views the current championship bout between Julianna Pena and Raquel Pennington as merely a placeholder for her eventual reign.
Addressing her critics, particularly those questioning her natural abilities, Harrison said, “When the truth doesn’t hurt, they start telling lies. I realize that you don’t work hard enough to look the way I look, and you don’t believe in yourself enough to have this kind of hard work and dedication. So, I consider it a compliment.”
As Harrison prepares for her second UFC appearance, she hopes to let her performance in the octagon silence the doubters.
