Kayla Harrison made history yesterday by becoming the first American judoka to win a gold medal in back-to-back Olympic Games.
Her success, plus the fact she is a former training partner of Ronda Rousey, has led to questions if she will make the jump to MMA. Harrison, however, has stated she is not interested in pursuing an MMA career.
"You know, after a match you shake the person’s hand and you give them a hug and you bow to them to show respect, and in MMA it’s not like that," Harrison said. "I don’t know if I’m cut out for a world where you get fights based on how pretty you are and how much you talk, not necessarily what’s your worth in the ring.
"For me, right now, it’s just going to focus on being two-time Olympic champion, enjoy the moment and live in the moment. Never say never, but right now the answer is no."
This may become a trend for Olympic judokas, thanks to the success of Rousey. After winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Games in Beijing, Rousey went on to become one of the faces of the UFC, both as a whole and for its women’s bantamweight division.
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt Mackenzie Dern made her MMA debut recently, crossing over from a world with one martial art to a world with multiple.
Original story by Fansided