You can forgive Kayla
Harrison if she intially comes off as dismissive of some of her
opponents. It’s simply the product of a supremely confident nature
one might expect from a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Harrison has taken a similar approach to PFL playoff opponent
Genah
Fabian, who she will face in a 155-pound semifinal matchup at
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., on
Thursday. Harrison took a moment to clarify some comments she made
regarding her matchup with Fabian during a media call on
Monday.
“It’s nothing personal to Genah at all,” Harrison said. “I respect
her as a fighter. I respect her as a person. I think in a different
lifetime maybe we would’ve been friends. But I have one job to do.
I have to go out and win fights. I have to destroy. I have a goal,
I have a dream.
“It’s nothing personal, it’s just business. I think people
misconstrue that as arrogance or cockiness. It has nothing to do
with Genah. It’s how much I believe in myself … I’m just built
different.”
Harrison and Fabian were initially slated to square off in 2019,
but the contest was scrapped when Fabian had to withdraw due to a
difficult weight cut. The City Kickboxing representative enters the
matchup with Harrison on a three-bout winning streak and could have
the size and striking skill set to potentially pose some
problems.
“Through the years, I feel like we both come a long way,” Harrison
said. “Her striking looks really sharp. She looks comfortable, she
looks prepared and confident inside the cage. I expect the grappler
vs. striker matchup. I think that’s kind of who we are. Let’s not
pretend we’re anything other than that. Let’s just go out there and
have a fight.”
Nonetheless, Harrison will once again be a massive favorite as she
attempts to secure her 11th professional victory. That said, she
has no trouble finding motivation before each fight.
“Genah looks super sharp, she looks great. But I’m in the gym every
day. I’m getting better every single day. It’s hard to be more
motivated than I am,” Harrison said. “I train hard for everybody
because everybody’s tough until you beat them. It’s a fight,
anything can happen and I plan on making it happen going in my
favor. I’m motivated, I’m excited. I think she’s a great opponent.
I’m sick of talking about it. That’s the point I’m at. Let’s just
go.”
In recent bouts, Harrison has displayed an ability to cut a sharp
promo in her pre- and post-fight interviews. The entertainment
aspect of the sport is not something she’s courting, however, and
she directly shunned a comparison to Conor
McGregor on Monday’s call.
Still, she doesn’t apologize for calling things like she sees them.
It’s the only way she knows how.
“I think [the entertainment element is] important to fans. I think
it’s important to media. It’s not important to me,” Harrison said.
“I wouldn’t really call it entertainment. I think at this point I’m
kind of sick of being Miss Congeniality. I believe in myself, so
why wouldn’t I say that publicly, openly?
“I guess I add a little bit of fanfare to it and a little bit of
finesse with my s—t talk. This is who I am. When I’m in the gym
with my buddies when I’m training … you can ask Kyoji
Horiguchi, everyone thinks he’s this nice quiet guy — all he
does is talk s—t. All we do is talk s-t. Why not show that to the
world and be that personality that I really am. I think that people
respect and can feel authenticity. That’s what I’m gonna do now
from now on.”