Kayla Harrison reacts to Amanda Nunes and Cris Cyborg call outs; Talks UFC 300 win

well, congratulations Kayla, how do you feel here in front? Oh, hello Amy, I feel great, I'm very happy. Does the feeling match what you thought it would feel like when you were thinking about this moment? um, yeah, I mean, it's hard, honestly. It took me a long time to get here I don't know I don't know if I could have ever done it properly um yeah I wasn't I wasn't expecting all of this it's really been a magical week um it's been a great journey. To get here I've been trying to focus on being present and enjoying the journey.

The good, the good parts and the bad, and this night went by so fast. I can't believe it's already over for me. What did you think when? You were actually there and you know your way out of finding it, all the lights, the cameras, I mean I know you're used to that, but it's different, yeah, no, it's different, it's electric, um, the fans, you know Bruce. Like it's the whole week, I mean the whole camp that you go through, like moments of fear and then moments of peace and then moments of fear, like you knew one day would be the best day in the world.

I'm going to kick his ass and the next day I'll be like, why the hell am I doing this? If it was just part of the process, but tonight, you know, I really prayed for peace and I prayed to feel peace and I did. and I felt very good. The warm-up inside the cage was very quick and I think that was good for my peace and I felt in the zone and comfortable, calm, collected and ready to go out and do it, I think everyone did. He wants to know what that weight cut was like, yeah, it was good, the last kilo, you know, I'm not going to lie, the last kilo was hard, I took a leap of faith here, I really took a big leap of faith that I've taken.

I haven't weighed 135 pounds since I was 16 years old. I walked away from millions of dollars and not security, but you know it's a big risk to be here and I believe in myself. I believe in my team. I feel like this is my

call

ing my

call

ing this is my purpose this is where I'm supposed to be right now doing what I'm doing and it's paying off we didn't get to hear all of your subsequent fights so I apologize if you've said everything this, but okay, do you feel like you've earned the title shot with that win?

Yeah, I mean, the goal was to go out and make a statement and be so good that that's what's next. I want to be UFC champion at the end of the year, so I hope I did enough tonight to do that. I hope I impressed the bosses and the matchmakers, so we'll see. I'm not sure if you've seen anything on Twitter yet, but Amanda tweeted some things. The

cyborg

s tweeted some things, do you have any responses? Oh, I didn't see what

cyborg

tweeted. I saw all the reporters tonight showed me Amanda's shah, uh listen I didn't say Amanda's name because Amanda is not the UFC champion, she retired, I thought she was. happily retired um I would love to win a UFC title and if Amanda wants to come back I will welcome her with open arms cyborg said for the record she said she would like to face the winner of that fight so Amanda and I right I would be up for that too, There is also a BMF title on this card and there has been some talk about the possibility of having one for women.

Would that be something you would be interested in if Amanda came back for that? I'll be depressed about that too, yeah, there's not much I wouldn't be depressed about right now. I really want to win a UFC title, um, but after that, I'm down for whatever, thank you, thank you here on the front lines. U to add to that. tweet that cyborg said he said if Kayla weighed 136 then maybe it's time for a trial cut do you think she could even gain 136 pounds? I don't know, I'm not a cyborg, you know, I don't walk around I don't live her life I have no idea um I know my equipment my abilities um and that's really all I can control I can't that's why I stopped chasing her I can't control her Yes I can't control any of that, so I just focus on me in that first round when Holly locked up and tried to throw you, oh my God, I know she reversed me.

I mean, did the game surprise you? Yeah, sure, um, I mean, we. I knew I had her, I had come a long way in grappling her and wrestling her and she is a very evolved and well-rounded wrestler, but I was pretty sure that my coaches were also pretty sure that she was probably going to go do footwork at least for the first round and I was going to have to try to cut the cage and chase her a little bit um but she didn't she stood her ground and I was surprised to know that you've done that on Victed but what was it like being able to throw elbows?

Yeah, it was great, it was really good, it was really nice. I enjoyed that, probably the most Caleb is here and you're obviously a huge inspiration to a lot of women in combat sports. I have left a big mark, what would be your message to young women looking to fight in MMA and one day fight in the UFC? I mean, I think self-confidence is number one, you really have to do it. believe in yourself and you have to surround yourself with people who believe in you, even if you don't believe in yourself yet, you're always going to have doubts, you're always going to be afraid, you're always going to be insecure. but if you find the right team that believes in you when you don't believe in yourself, that can get you out of that moment, it's really important, um, and yeah, the sky's the limit, look, I was 16. a six-year-old kid who sat on my mom and grandma's couch and watched the '96 Olympics and they were sprinters and I said, I want to do that someday.

I can't run for anything, but I had a dream and I turned that dream into judo and I, I'm not a special athlete, I'm not a damn nature, but I have an indomitable spirit and I have the perfect team around me and that has made me taken very far in this life and can take anyone far. thanks mhm Kayla right here uh Kayla just first logistically about how much you rehydrated when you went into the cage tonight uh I was 160 pounds with my clothes on, it's like my shoes and stuff and about where, roughly, how much do you usually do? rehydrate when you were 55 160 lbs oh wow and then second question you talked about being a mother adopting your niece and nephew.

I wonder, do you know what they think of everything because, seeing mom in general? UFC 300 and all I have to imagine is all the house talk, yeah, no, you know, I learned honestly, my kids taught me a very beautiful lesson and that was after my first, my only loss. I came home and my daughter is in therapy. I talked to her therapist and said, hey, how's Kyla? Because they were in the fight and they saw me lose and they told me. I said, hey, how's Kyla? She's fine, just like I thought she would. I don't know.

I don't know what she was thinking, but she couldn't believe that she had lost and that she was mentally devastated. I thought maybe my daughter was too and her therapist said, What do you mean? And I said: Is she okay? Has she spoken? about the loss, has she talked about it? She said: Oh yeah, she told me you guys went to New York. She bought dead pizza on Thanksgiving. My mom had a fight and lost, but we went for ice cream afterwards and then we all flew home and we like it. she was like Kayla, she doesn't care if you win or lose and she doesn't care what you do, she cares that you love her and that you show up for her, um and that changed my life in a very, very big way. so they don't care, they don't even know they're like, I mean, my daughter loves to come to the fights and watch, but that's my number one job, to be the best mom I can be to them, this is my job. staff.

Dream It's not her dream so they don't care, if you can compare them, what is it like winning your UFC debut compared to going out and getting a million dollar check when you win? Who said I won't get both? Those tonight, how would you compare them? However, the feeling, uh, yeah, I mean, obviously, winning a title in anything is usually very special, but tonight, on such a historic night, UFC 300, my debut as a new legend of the sport in the category of weight, uh, Holly, at home, tonight was very special. I'm probably going to the Olympics, Olympics, my world Judo title and I don't know, I mean, it's very, very, very cool, congratulations, thank you very much, the front, the front, right here, um, just a quick one , right in front.

They told me to leave you. I know Bo won his fight, oh thank God, how did he win? We're naked, strangled, stealing my moves, uh kayb, back here, yeah, oh, uh, just a quick one, uh, you had a hug with Holly at home after she hugged you and said something to her. Ella, can you share with us what you told her and maybe what she told you? I asked her if we could pray together and then I prayed for her and her family and I thanked her for being an inspiration and for paving the way and um for or for giving me the honor of sharing the cage with her and um I thanked God for her, thank you Kayla, yes, I know you've heard um, you know throughout your career up until this, you fought nobody, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, you and You've always said that you know everyone you step in and they You have a lot of respect, yes, but now you go out and beat Coling Hol Champion.

Does it feel good to shut people up? I mean, it's never going to shut anyone up. everyone's going to say oh she's blah blah blah blah blah blah and now you're a big bully so I don't care what people think anymore. I have it with age and time and I'm getting tired of I just learned to like it, turn it off as if not. I do not care what you think about me. I know who I am. The people who love me know who I am and that's enough for me now that you. I have made the weight cut.

What is like a response time? Like how soon can you fight? That is a good question. I don't know. I have to solve it. International fight week for a championship. When is it until the end of June? June is like 6 weeks. I think maybe it's too soon. It took me 12 weeks. Maybe MSG in the fall. Maybe yes. Absolutely. I have to talk to my team. You know that no. I'm the boss, but. I'm not the boss boss like usual. I listen to my coaches and my team and they have my best interests in mind, so we'll all pack our bags.

They have to offer me something too, so Kayla, congratulations on the dominant victory cry in the UFC debut.

outs

for all the moms uh very quickly, of course, very quickly, what gives you so much confidence to potentially face Amanda nunas? Is there anything you felt in the training room? um no, I mean, I just believe in myself and I believe in my abilities and I believe that I'm in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. My coaches are the best coaches in the world. So yeah, I think I can beat anyone. Thank you.

Thank you very much to all.