Kayla Harisson: MMA Is Judo On Steroids, You Have To Worry About A Million Different Things

Kayla Harisson (Instagram @judokayla)

JAKARTA - Kayla Harrison, a judo winner who won Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016, has thanked MMA for bringing her back to life.

The 31-year-old American has twice won the Professional Fighters League (PFL) lightweight division in 2019 and 2021. And that has earned her a million dollars on each occasion.

But on the other hand, Harrison admits she is struggling with depression after securing two Olympic gold medals.

"I was kind of depressed," Harrison told BBC Sport.

"I didn't set an alarm, I didn't leave my house, I didn't watch TV in years and suddenly I was drowning in six seasons of all these Netflix shows. That's bad.

"It's like in the movies where you see a guy breaking up with his girlfriend and he just has trash everywhere. That's how I look; I'm a mess."

One day Harrison decided to get up and get back into combat sports, first through Muay Thai and then MMA.

"I really believe in doing something that burns my soul. I'm more of a doer. I don't just watch people, I love doing things," she said.

"So about six months after the Olympics I went to the local gym in Boston and started practicing Muay Thai, did my first sparring session and it opened my eyes.

"I was like, man, this is so hard. Punching in the face hurts. That was it and I was like, I have to fight, at least I have to try. I can't live with 'what ifs' hanging over me.

"If anything, this fire burns a little hotter just because I feel like it, I don't have much time.

“I was six years old when I started judo and I'm 31 now, so I didn't have as much time to get really good as I did with judo. And two, it's judo on steroids.

"In judo you have to worry about someone throwing you, strangling you, holding your arm or pinning you. In MMA you have to worry about a million different things.

"Are they going to kick your head? Are they going to knock you down? Are they going to punch you in the face? Are they going to punch you in the body? I've never done anything like that. I love it, I'm obsessed."