UFC CEO Dana White and bantamweight Kayla Harrison have responded to what appears to be an attempt by the PFL to cast shade on Harrison. The incident unfolded when PFL posted a promotional video for their champ Larissa Pacheco’s upcoming bout against Cris Cyborg, which seemingly took indirect jabs at Harrison, whom Pacheco managed to defeat once.
When questioned about the video during a press conference, White didn’t mince words, expressing his disdain for PFL’s tactics. “They’re drowning. They’re not good at what they do,” White stated, suggesting that PFL’s actions were a desperate attempt to generate attention for their upcoming events.
White went on to criticize PFL’s overall strategy, implying that they were using Harrison’s name to boost their visibility. This isn’t the first time the UFC CEO has taken aim at rival promotions, with his criticisms intensifying since PFL’s merger with Bellator.
Meanwhile, Harrison, who recently made her successful UFC debut at UFC 307 with a victory over Ketlen Vieira, seemed unfazed by PFL’s apparent slight. When asked about the video during her post-fight press conference, Harrison laughed it off, stating she hadn’t seen it. She then delivered a subtle dig of her own, asking reporters, “Have you seen anything promoting any PFL lately?”
Harrison’s transition from PFL to UFC has been a topic of much discussion in the MMA world. Despite PFL’s efforts to retain her with lucrative offers, Harrison chose to join the UFC, a decision that reportedly left PFL executives disappointed.
The decorated Olympian’s impressive performance in her UFC debut has already sparked talk of a potential title shot. Harrison expressed confidence in her abilities and readiness to compete at the highest level in the bantamweight division.
Kayla Harrison experienced a “post-competiton depression” after UFC debut for the first time since the Olympic Games
The Olympic champion also noted the difficulty of going from being the center of attention during media week to relative anonymity afterward. “You go from being like on top of the mountain, everyone’s talking about you…and then you know the next week there’s another fight, another fight and like nobody gives a [expletive] anymore,” she said.
