In Newark, New Jersey, the stage is set for UFC 316, and while the main card boasts its usual firepower, it’s Kayla Harrison’s co-main event showdown with Julianna Peña that’s pulling heartstrings. The 2x Olympic gold medalist is seeking more than just the UFC throne. In the UFC 316 Countdown video, ‘Doug’ opened up in a way fans rarely see. Before MMA fame, there was darkness. Before supremacy, there was doubt.
After winning her second Olympic gold medal in 2016, Kayla Harrison felt lost rather than accomplished. Her once-inspirational goal had come to an end. “I was depressed,” she admitted in the video. “I was depressed. I didn’t know who I was, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do.” With no training goals or a plan, the once-focused athlete became lost in a cloud of idleness and emptiness.
That post-Olympic euphoria quickly faded and became one of her lowest periods in life. But everything changed after one unexpected decision. She took a striking class for fun, just to get moving again. Then she had her first sparring session. “Oh f—, like, this is it.” MMA ignited a new passion in her—a different love than judo, but as intense.
“Judo was definitely my first love,” Harrison explained. “But MMA is kind of my true love.” The structure, the violence, the challenge—it restored her identity. And this time, she wasn’t just competing. She was becoming. Harrison, who is 18-1 and has two PFL crowns under her belt, enters UFC 316 hoping to win the UFC bantamweight crown. But she is still struggling with the question: Have I made it?
October 5, 2024, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA: KETLEN VIEIRA and KAYLA HARRISON fight in a 3-round WomenÃââ s Bantamweight bout at UFC 307 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City USA – ZUMAs346 20241005_zsp_s346_127 Copyright: xAlejandroxSalazarx
“I feel like I’m the baddest b—- on the planet every time I spar,” she said, “but you don’t fight as often as judo tournaments… so sometimes you wonder, ‘But are you?’” Each win reduces that doubt, and UFC gold has the potential to silence it permanently. However, the UFC gold isn’t the only thing driving her forward, as there is another major key to her motivation that’s truly heartwarming: motherhood.
MMA wasn’t the only big change that helped Kayla Harrison improve her psyche
Harrison’s fire in the Octagon stems not only from competitive desire but also from home. Right when she was doubting herself the most, life offered her something far more valuable than a gold medal: responsibility. The kind that doesn’t care if you’re an Olympian or a UFC fighter. Her niece and nephew, Emery and Kyle, unknowingly helped her heal from years of inner chaos.
‘Doug’ didn’t step into motherhood with a game plan. In fact, she says she had no idea what she was doing. She took care of her niece and nephew, Emery and Kyle, when her sister was no longer able to support them. She eventually adopted both kids in October 2021. But the clarity came quickly. These kids did not want a champion; they wanted Harrison as she is.
Not the version with her hand raised in the cage, but the one who shows up for them and is always present. “They don’t give a s— about any of that other stuff,” she explained, reflecting on how insignificant titles and trophies are in the eyes of those who love her most. That realization triggered a switch. The pressure to win subsided, giving way to freedom—something she had never experienced despite standing on two Olympic podiums.
She stopped fighting out of fear or anticipation and began fighting for joy. For a purpose. “Once I became a mom, that became the job,” she said. And now, every jab, takedown, every round is powered by something much deeper than legacy. It is fueled by love. What do you think? Will Harrison be able to get her hands on the gold at UFC 316? Let us know in the comments.
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