Kayla Harrison has nothing but respect for Alex Pereira.
Earlier this year, Harrison and Pereira shared a fight card for the first time, with both picking up big wins at UFC 300. That evening, Harrison made her UFC and women’s bantamweight debut with a second-round submission of former champion Holly Holm, and Pereira successfully defended his light heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of former champion Jamahal Hill. After the event was over, the two shared a moment backstage where Harrison — a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo — even saw fit to give Pereira a yellow belt, despite “Poatan” not using any grappling skills in his UFC 300 matchup.
Speaking recently with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Harrison explained why.