Olympic gold medalist turned UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison has fired back at Henry Cejudo after the former two-division champion made controversial remarks about American representation in the UFC’s championship ranks.
During an episode of his podcast Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry, Cejudo claimed that the UFC currently lacks American champions. He specifically stated: “There’s no American male champion right now. When has there not been a champion coming out of the U.S.? Granted, a lot of fighters train in the U.S., but as of right now, the U.S. has no champion. What does that tell you, Kamaru? That the world is just worldwide, dude. This is a sport that knows no cultural, language, or educational barriers. As long as you’re blessed with two feet, you can train – and you can definitely try.”
Harrison currently holds the women’s bantamweight title, and didn’t let the slight go unnoticed. The champion took to social media platform Twitter to deliver a pointed response: “You know Henry don’t like to say my name.”
The exchange has sparked debate about whether Cejudo’s comments reflected a dismissive attitude toward female champions and their contributions to American mixed martial arts success.
Both athletes share remarkably parallel paths to UFC success, having transitioned from Olympic glory to mixed martial arts stardom. Cejudo captured wrestling gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics before eventually claiming both the UFC Flyweight and Bantamweight championships during his professional career. Meanwhile, Harrison made history as the first American woman to win Olympic gold in judo, achieving this feat twice at the 2012 London Games and 2016 Rio Olympics.
Harrison’s journey to UFC gold took a different route than Cejudo’s. Before joining the premier mixed martial arts organization, she dominated PFL. Harrison won fifteen consecutive bouts and captured the organization’s million-dollar tournament twice. Her only career defeat came via decision to Larissa Pacheco, an opponent she had previously defeated on two separate occasions.
Since arriving in the UFC, Harrison has quickly established herself as both a formidable competitor and fan favorite. Her championship reign has generated significant interest, particularly with speculation surrounding a potential matchup against former champion Amanda Nunes, should the Brazilian legend decide to return from retirement.
