Kayla Harrison may be the best-known MMA fighter in the PFL outside of the signing of Rory MacDonald earlier this month. As she is set to win the second season of the PFL tournament on New Year’s Eve, she believes that she is the highest paid female athlete in MMA.
This fall, Harrison signed a long-term deal with the PFL which means that there would not be any chance of her leaving for the UFC or Bellator. The former two-time Olympic gold medalist judo is getting paid well by the PFL. In an interview with MMA Fighting ahead of her lightweight showdown with Larissa Pacheco, she noted that she might be the highest-paid female in MMA. With a lot of payouts from the UFC and Bellator are locked down when they do not have to be disclosed, it’s hard to make a straight on comparison. At UFC 245, Amanda Nunes made a reported $350,000 plus a $100,00 win bonus. If Harrison is making more than this, outside of the $1M prize for winning the tournament, it would definitely maker her one of the highest paid female mixed martial artists in the sport.
Payout Perspective:
Harrison is one of the fortunate athletes in MMA that has been able to carve out a niche in the sport. PFL sees potential in her dominance her division. Of course, similar to the UFC’s 145 pound division, the concern will be whether there will be enough worthy challengers for her. Sarah Kaufman was thought to be the challenger for New Year’s Eve at the start of the season but due to an upset, an anticipated big fight for the reigning PFL tourney champ went away. She is still a marketable fighter with an Olympian pedigree, but its up to the PFL to find worthy opponents for the tournament.
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