Kayla Harrison’s recent bantamweight title win has sparked intense debate—not just about her performance but also about what it took to get there.
Fans React to Kayla Harrison’s Gruesome Weight Cut
At UFC 316, Harrison defeated Julianna Peña with a flawless second-round kimura, solidifying her place atop the bantamweight division. But her battle didn’t begin inside the Octagon—it started during a torturous 15-week weight cut to make championship weight at 135 pounds.
The weigh-in photos painted a stark picture—Harrison appeared alarmingly drawn out, prompting questions about the toll her cut had taken. Until now, the Olympic judoka had avoided sharing specific details. That changed in a revealing interview with Ariel Helwani, where she opened up about her intense regimen.
“For 15 weeks, I’m on a strict diet, eating only what my chef gives me,” Harrison said. “I walk six miles a day, swim for 90 minutes, or bike for two hours. Sundays, I go even harder.” The toll wasn’t just physical. “I wanted to quit,” she confessed. “I didn’t want to be there anymore.”
She credited her faith as the only thing that pulled her through. “I didn’t make weight—God did.”
Unbelievable. Kayla Harrison breaks down her brutal weight cut in order to make championship weight at 135lbs:
“It’s not good… I don’t know really how else to explain it. I don’t think that anyone can really understand that process unless they have gone through it.
For 15… pic.twitter.com/CgXCfbjQ2a
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 9, 2025
The honesty stirred fierce online reactions. Some fans slammed the method as dangerous and exploitative. “Legalized cheating,” one wrote. “You think that Nunes fight will even happen at 135?”
Legalized cheating. You think that Nunes fight will even happen at 135? It doesn’t get easier with age after a long break
— Yondu (@YonduUd0nta) June 9, 2025
Another added, “It would be amazing to see fighters compete at their real natural weights. It’ll never happen, but still.”
Others rallied behind Harrison’s effort. “Incredible dedication,” one user posted.
Incredible dedication
— Daniel DiNoia (@daniel_dinoia) June 9, 2025
Another wrote, “Her and Amanda should fight at 145 lbs.” A third individual wrote, “Love her dedication to the sport.” While admiration flowed in, the conversation exposed the long-standing debate around extreme weight cuts in MMA.
Demetrious Johnson Urges Harrison to Avoid Nunes
As Harrison’s callout of Amanda Nunes made headlines, another MMA legend voiced caution. Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson had a clear message for Harrison: Stay away from Amanda Nunes.
“If I was Kayla Harrison, I would retire from the sport. Don’t fight Amanda Nunes,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. While acknowledging Harrison’s UFC title win, Johnson argued the experience gap between the two is too wide to ignore.
“Kayla Harrison is a world champion, but when you look at the roster of what Amanda Nunes fought and what Kayla Harrison fought, there’s no f*cking comparison. There’s not one comparison at all. You had Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, Cat Zingano, (Germaine De Randamie), Valentina Shevchenko,” Johnson explained. “Just the talent pool Amanda Nunes has fought in mixed martial arts, blows everything that Kayla Harrison has done in her entire career, just the talent pool.”
Johnson also speculated that if Nunes returns, it’s likely because she sees an easy win. “I think the only thing that’s enticing (Nunes) to come out of retirement is probably how easy the fight might be.”
Though Johnson recommended retirement, he left the door open for a final appearance. “I’d rather see Amanda Nunes stay retired, and then maybe see Kayla Harrison fight one more time and then retire.”