Kayla Harrison placed on a stable if not spectacular efficiency at UFC 307, beating Ketlen Viera through unanimous determination within the opening match of the occasion’s pay-per-view.
Given the hype surrounding the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist, many anticipated Harrison to buzzsaw her manner by Viera like she did with Holly Holm. So it was one thing of a disappointment seeing her battle and fail to hit the gear wanted to place her opponent away.
For her half, Viera clearly got here in with a great understanding of what was wanted to present Harrison matches. She stymied Kayla’s offense and managed to get a pair good licks in as properly, bloodying the American High Workforce product.
Following the bout, Harrison was blunt in her evaluation of the battle.
“It simply wasn’t the efficiency I hoped for,” she informed ESPN’s Megan Olivi. “I simply felt slightly flat tonight. Couldn’t string some stuff collectively. Just a little bit pissed off with my efficiency. You recognize, my staff makes loads of sacrifices. Everybody actually places in loads of effort to ensure that me to to be right here. So I simply I really feel like I allow them to down slightly bit.”
“It extra simply having the ability to simply kinda opening up and unleashing,” she stated on what wasn’t working. “For no matter motive, I wasn’t in a position to try this tonight as a lot as I need to. I do know I’m my very own harshest critic, however I’ve to be the perfect on my worst day.”
Harrison admitted the Salt Lake Metropolis altitude could have performed a component in a lull that led her to getting cut up open by Viera.
“I actually didn’t assume it was gonna [be an issue], however I believe within the second spherical, I don’t know if it was an adrenaline dump, if I used to be feeling slightly little bit of nerves or what. However I positively didn’t really feel as sharp as I usually really feel. And it’s bizarre as a result of I’ve been feeling nice. We got here out early. I used to be feeling nice within the coaching.”
“Who is aware of? Possibly I simply ate an excessive amount of right this moment. I don’t know.”
Regardless, Harrison is anticipated to battle for the ladies’s bantamweight title subsequent towards new champ Juliana Pena. We anticipate that to go down within the subsequent six months, however Kayla was requested if she’d hypothetically wait a yr for Pena to be prepared.
“I might battle,” she declared. “Whenever you’re the perfect on the planet, you’re the perfect on the planet. It doesn’t matter. I’m the uncrowned queen. If I’ve the belt, if I don’t have the belt, I’m nonetheless the perfect on the planet. So I’d battle. I don’t care who it’s. Fill within the clean. I imply that after I say it. I don’t assume that there’s anyone on the planet that may beat me.”
