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Kayla Harrison
Kayla Jean Harrison (born July 2, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former judoka. She currently competes in the women's Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the current UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion. She is the first female fighter to win an Olympic gold medal and a UFC championship. She was a former two-time Professional Fighters League lightweight champion. As of June 10, 2025, she is #3 in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.
In Judo, Harrison won the women’s 78 kg gold medal in the 2010 World Judo Championships and gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2016, she was promoted to Rokudan (6th-degree black belt) by the United States Judo Association, becoming the youngest ever to achieve the rank. In March 2023, Harrison was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame. She remains the only American judoka to have won a gold medal in Judo at the Summer Olympics and the only one to have won a gold medal in the World Judo Championships.
Born in Middletown, Ohio, Harrison took up judo at the age of six, having been introduced to the sport by her mother, who was a black belt. She graduated from Middletown High School (Ohio).
She began training under coach Daniel Doyle, and won two national championships by the age of 15. During that period, Doyle was sexually abusing Harrison, who reported it to another judoka, who in turn told Harrison's mother. She subsequently reported this to the police. Doyle was convicted and sentenced to a ten-year prison term. A month after the abuse was revealed, she moved away from her home in Ohio to Boston to train with Jimmy Pedro and his father.
Harrison changed weight classes in 2008, from the –63 kg division to the –78 kg division. She could not compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics as the United States had not qualified in that division. She won the 2008 Junior World Championship that year, and the following year placed second, becoming the first American to compete in two Junior World Championships finals.
Harrison won the gold medal in the –78 kg category at the 2010 World Championships, the first American to do so since 1999 (when her coach, Jimmy Pedro, did so in Birmingham, United Kingdom). At the 2011 World Championships in Paris, she placed third taking the bronze medal. Harrison had lost to the eventual winner, Audrey Tcheuméo of France, in her semi-final.
Prior to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Harrison was injured during training, having torn a medial collateral ligament. On August 2, 2012, she won the Olympic title in the –78 kg category, defeating Gemma Gibbons of Britain by two yukos, to become the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in judo. She earned a second Olympic gold medal in the same weight class in 2016 in Rio, defeating Audrey Tcheuméo of France.
In 2015, Harrison was elected to the United States Judo Federation Hall Of Fame and on August 31, 2016, following her second Olympic gold medal, the United States Judo Association promoted Harrison to rokudan (6th Degree Black Belt) making her the youngest person in the US to ever be awarded this rank.
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Kayla Harrison
Kayla Jean Harrison (born July 2, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former judoka. She currently competes in the women's Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the current UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion. She is the first female fighter to win an Olympic gold medal and a UFC championship. She was a former two-time Professional Fighters League lightweight champion. As of June 10, 2025, she is #3 in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.
In Judo, Harrison won the women’s 78 kg gold medal in the 2010 World Judo Championships and gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2016, she was promoted to Rokudan (6th-degree black belt) by the United States Judo Association, becoming the youngest ever to achieve the rank. In March 2023, Harrison was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame. She remains the only American judoka to have won a gold medal in Judo at the Summer Olympics and the only one to have won a gold medal in the World Judo Championships.
Born in Middletown, Ohio, Harrison took up judo at the age of six, having been introduced to the sport by her mother, who was a black belt. She graduated from Middletown High School (Ohio).
She began training under coach Daniel Doyle, and won two national championships by the age of 15. During that period, Doyle was sexually abusing Harrison, who reported it to another judoka, who in turn told Harrison's mother. She subsequently reported this to the police. Doyle was convicted and sentenced to a ten-year prison term. A month after the abuse was revealed, she moved away from her home in Ohio to Boston to train with Jimmy Pedro and his father.
Harrison changed weight classes in 2008, from the –63 kg division to the –78 kg division. She could not compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics as the United States had not qualified in that division. She won the 2008 Junior World Championship that year, and the following year placed second, becoming the first American to compete in two Junior World Championships finals.
Harrison won the gold medal in the –78 kg category at the 2010 World Championships, the first American to do so since 1999 (when her coach, Jimmy Pedro, did so in Birmingham, United Kingdom). At the 2011 World Championships in Paris, she placed third taking the bronze medal. Harrison had lost to the eventual winner, Audrey Tcheuméo of France, in her semi-final.
Prior to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Harrison was injured during training, having torn a medial collateral ligament. On August 2, 2012, she won the Olympic title in the –78 kg category, defeating Gemma Gibbons of Britain by two yukos, to become the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in judo. She earned a second Olympic gold medal in the same weight class in 2016 in Rio, defeating Audrey Tcheuméo of France.
In 2015, Harrison was elected to the United States Judo Federation Hall Of Fame and on August 31, 2016, following her second Olympic gold medal, the United States Judo Association promoted Harrison to rokudan (6th Degree Black Belt) making her the youngest person in the US to ever be awarded this rank.