Photo: The White House / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Kayla Harrison is one of those rare athletes who makes you rethink what "greatness" even means. She became the first American — male or female — to win an Olympic gold medal in judo, then came back and did it again in Rio 2016, cementing her legacy before most people her age had figured out a career path. What she did next, though, is what really gets me: she walked away from the sport she'd mastered and started over in MMA, grinding through the PFL ranks until she captured that title too. And then the UFC came calling, and she answered. The fact that she's also a survivor who has spoken openly about childhood abuse and used that story to advocate for others adds a whole other dimension. She's not just a fighter — she's someone who rebuilt herself, repeatedly, on her own terms. Genuinely one of the most compelling athletes of her generation.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kayla Harrison
- Name (Japanese)
- ケイラ・ハリソン
- Reading
- けいら・はりそん
- Born
- July 2, 1990 (age 36)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Horse
- Origin
- Middletown, Ohio, United States
- Height
- 2 cm
- Occupation
- judoka / mixed martial arts fighter
2. Background
- High school
- Middletown High School
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Kayla Harrison born?
Born July 2, 1990 (age 36).
Where is Kayla Harrison from?
Kayla Harrison is from Middletown, Ohio, United States.
What does Kayla Harrison do?
Kayla Harrison works as judoka, mixed martial arts fighter.
How tall is Kayla Harrison?
Kayla Harrison is 2 cm.
Judoka — see all → · Mixed martial arts fighter — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.