PFL CEO Peter Murray has expressed disappointment at the apparent collapse of the highly anticipated match between Cris Cyborg and Kayla Harrison. Harrison recently signed a contract with the UFC, ending his six-year stint in the PFL. This development dashed any hopes for a showdown between two of the world’s best female fighters.
Murray expressed his disappointment in a statement to reporters, saying: “It’s too bad Cyborg and Kayla’s fight never happened. Kayla chose not to make it happen and move on to the next chapter.” Murray did not go into the details of Harrison’s departure, but confirmed the decision and emphasized the PFL’s interest in making the Cyborg vs. Harrison fight a reality.
Despite the setback, Murray announced the promotion’s commitment to putting on a marquee fight involving Cris Cyborg. The current plan is to arrange a match between Cyborg, the current Bellator women’s featherweight champion, and Larissa Pacheco, who won the 2023 PFL featherweight title.
A potential clash between Cyborg and Harrison had garnered a lot of interest, especially after a cross-promotional match became viable after the PFL’s acquisition of Bellator in late 2023. Harrison, a two-time PFL women’s lightweight champion, initially hinted she would become a free agent after her fight against Aspen Ladd in November.
But last week, PFL president Don Davis said Harrison still had one game left on his contract. The situation has evolved, and on Wednesday, Davis said the promotion had ultimately decided not to block Harrison’s move to the UFC.
Harrison, who has had an illustrious PFL career, is set to make her UFC debut at UFC 300 on April 13th against former bantamweight champion Holly Holm. Although it was disappointing to miss the Cyborg fight, fans are still hoping to see a high-level match between both fighters. Profile matches in each promotion.
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