The former gold medallist from the Olympics is entering a division that could use some star power, and she may provide it right away.

Ahead of the landmark UFC 300 pay-per-view card, MMA fans are still waiting impatiently for the next fight announcement. CEO Dana White’s late-night update on Tuesday struck like a thief in the night.

Come April 13 in Las Vegas, Kayla Harrison, a double Olympic gold medallist and two-time PFL champion, will not only make her Octagon debut as a big free agent signing, but she will do so at UFC 300. In a glamorous main event against legendary female combat sports competitor Holly Holm (15-6, 1 NC). Additionally, 135 pounds will be used for the battle.

A move like this didn’t seem feasible even a week ago, when discussions between Harrison (16-1) and PFL brass centred around whether or not she actually had one more fight left on her contract. And yet here we are, with the three-round bout sitting just right in the middle of what is turning into a must-watch spectacle (though it could still stand to lose a third title bout).

That being said, there are still several unanswered issues about this fight, most notably about Harrison’s nearly complete absence from 155-pound MMA competitions. However, as the event approaches—less than three months away—let’s examine the main factors that make Harrison’s UFC deal so significant.

1. Harrison-Holm is a much more interesting fight than many are realizing

Following the announcement, there was an unexpected outcry on social media, mostly from ardent UFC supporters who seemed to be mostly upset about Holm’s age (42), Harrison avoiding a PFL matchup with legendary fighter Cris Cyborg, or the fact that they were hoping for a more significant UFC 300 reveal. However, Holm shouldn’t be written off so lightly given his legendary reputation as a former UFC champion and International Boxing Hall of Famer—he is still one of the organization’s most well-known figures. And part of what makes her such a legend is her longevity and consistency—even at her elderly age. Indeed, Holm has suffered defeats in significant fights against top-tier opponents, and she hasn’t been able to duplicate her momentous victory over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in 2015. Since then, though, she has also continued to be the epitome of the UFC women’s divisions, never missing the title picture in any of the two divisions. In her last five fights, Holm is also 3-1 (1 NC), with victories over recent title challenger Irene Aldana and reigning champion Raquel Pennington. With the substantial weight cut and stark style contrast, Holm still serves as the ideal litmus test to determine whether Harrison is actually prepared to take such a risk. Add to that all the unknowns that Harrison introduces.

Breaking News: UFC has signed Kayla Harrison!#UFC300 Holly Holm vs Kayla Harrison pic.twitter.com/jQeLItwQmO

— danawhite (@danawhite) January 24, 2024

2. Harrison is going all in (and then some) to be great

Take a number if you don’t think Harrison can pull this off. However, that’s what makes this concept so fascinating. The Ohio native has been unstoppable in mixed martial arts (MMA), with the exception of an unexpected loss to two-division PFL champion Larisa Pacheco in their 2022 title match (after Harrison had won their previous two encounters). However, the most of her success has come at 155 pounds, a weight class that the UFC hardly ever advertises (the 145-pound weight class is still rarely promoted). For instance, PFL established a 155-pound seasonal competition just for Harrison, who, by winning both of her medals at 172 pounds, became the first American to win gold in Olympic judo. Harrison was not even thinking about dropping to 135 when she first entered into negotiations with the UFC in 2021 as a restricted PFL free agent. She lost weight to 145 pounds and only engaged in one fight, winning via dominant TKO in 2020 while competing for Invicta FC. She later stated that she could not safely engage in multiple fights due to the epidemic.

Harrison, however, realised that at 33, her window of opportunity to reach her full potential is shrinking. And it’s interesting to wonder if Harrison realised that, even with PFL’s recent expansion by absorbing the Bellator roster, it’s now or never to pursue that chance of becoming an all-time great after PFL excluded her from the 2023 regular season after she was unable to land a Cyborg crossover fight that was under consideration, keeping her idle for almost the entirety of the previous year. Harrison may or may not be able to accomplish that, but what makes her quest intriguing is her mental toughness. If anyone can figure out how to safely lose muscle without sacrificing speed and explosiveness, it’s Harrison. Harrison is a self-confident victim of sexual abuse who has adopted her niece and nephew to get them out of a challenging environment. Additionally, Harrison successfully completed a test cut prior to signing the contract, according to her manager Ali Abdelaziz, who recently spoke with ESPN. Achieving such a feat would further solidify her already-growing renown.

3. This is a shot in the arm to the UFC women’s divisions

Respect should be given where credit is due, which is to the UFC women’s strawweight division, which since its 2014 inception has produced thrilling and competitive bouts between elites. But it took flyweight MMA a little longer to develop from being only a showcase for Valentina Shevchenko’s brilliance to possibly being the most competitive class in all of female MMA. However, bantamweight and featherweight have clearly suffered in recent years, partly as a result of Cyborg’s departure but also because of Amanda Nunes’s dominance—she abruptly resigned at 35 last year after dominating both divisions. Anyone could tell how far bantamweight has gone just by listening to the jeers during Raquel Pennington’s victory over Mayra Bueno Silva for the vacant 135-pound belt at UFC 297 last week. In addition to giving the division an instant boost of elite star power and opening up a tonne of new matchups, it would be intriguing to see what would happen if Harrison discovered that making the cut to 135 isn’t feasible. Although no formal decision has been made, most people close to the UFC feel the featherweight class will probably be discontinued after Junes. Should Harrison find it safer to compete at featherweight rather than 135, the UFC might have a new face to focus on right away. Alternatively, the promotion might even go so far as to merge the two categories into the inaugural women’s heavyweight weight class, which would include the weight range of 135 to 155 pounds.

4. This might get Amanda Nunes back up in the bullpen

There have been rumours that Nunes may be back in training and considering a comeback, despite the fact that she had what may have been the most ideal UFC departure of all time last spring. There isn’t a greater match to build for than her matchup with Harrison, who was once her sparring partner and teammate at American Top Team in Florida. The two were close at initially, but not until Nunes quit the gym to start her own, accusing the ATT trainers of putting Harrison’s efforts ahead of her own. Harrison’s action has eliminated her from the Cyborg competition, but it may pave the way for a far larger confrontation with Nunes. It is something to consider.

5. This is quite the statement from UFC after PFL declared war

Recall when PFL founder Donn Davis said his organisation was prepared to take on the industry leader head-to-head since it had a TV deal on the same network as the UFC. That’s been the talk coming out of the PFL when they acquired everyone on the Bellator roster, including Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul. As a result, speculation has persisted over whether UFC athletes, who are set to retire, would be big free agent additions. This is especially true now that PFL has received investment funding from Saudi Arabia. However, the UFC actually signed away former Bellator star Michael “Venom” Page and Kayla Harrison from the PFL in the months leading up to their big free agent signings. If Harrison becomes well-known, it’s unclear if UFC will try to aggressively add to its meagre 145-pound female roster by cherry-picking fighters from the PFL, which has a wealth of talent thanks to Pacheco, Cyborg, and seasoned Julia Budd, among others. Even though UFC contracts are still rather stringent, It makes the concept of actual free agency challenging (and the reason the UFC is facing a class action lawsuit trial this spring due to allegations of monopoly). In contrast, PFL treaties are less inflexible. This could indicate that UFC keeps up its aggressive roster expansion strategy while also preventing PFL from going all the way out.