UFC Champion Kayla Harrison Trashes Ronda Rousey's Career in Brutal Rant

The UFC women's bantamweight champ let loose on 'Rowdy.'

Jun 7, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, UNITED STATES; Kayla Harrison (blue gloves) prepares to fight Julianna Pena (not pictured) in a bantamweight title bout during UFC 316 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Kayla Harrison appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show Wednesday to discuss a variety of topics, including her distaste for women's MMA pioneer and former bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey.

Rousey returned to MMA competition in May, securing a vintage armbar submission stoppage against Gina Carano at MVP MMA 01 in California. In the lead-up to the event, which featured former UFC Heavyweight Champions Junior dos Santos and Francis Ngannou, the narrative was framed as an essential UFC-against-the-world mentality.

This bothered Harrison, who is set to make her long-awaited return to the UFC next month, facing former two-division champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 334 in New York City.

More specifically, Harrison responded to Rousey's fight being called the "biggest ever" by Rousey herself in the months leading up to it. In simple terms, Harrison said she bought into none of the attention.

Kayla Harrison Unloads on Ronda Rousey

May 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Ronda Rousey (blue gloves) looks on before fighting Gina Carano (red gloves) in a women's featherweight bout at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I'm impressed with the ability that Ronda has to convince the world of absolute b****** and then get paid royally for it," Harrison said. "I'm impressed by that, yes."

Despite being the first-ever UFC women's champion, Harrison, a word-class Judo specialist like Rousey once was, is unimpressed.

"I don't think [she fought] at a high level," Harrison added. "I don't think you can call it that. "I think that she creates the market and she does a damn good job of it. I wish that I could spin b******* the way she does."

Regarding the fight itself between Harrison and Nunes, Harrison admitted that, given complications with her neck injury, she was surprised that she made a full recovery to get the fight fully rebooked.

Why Kayla Harrison Returned to UFC

Jun 7, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, UNITED STATES; Kayla Harrison (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Julianna Pena (not pictured) in a bantamweight title bout during UFC 316 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"There were a lot of moments where I questioned if this was gonna be possible, and if I needed to come to terms with the fact that I might be all done," Harrison said. "I had numbness down my arm, and I couldn't feel my three fingers, and then I started to get lightning bolts down my arm and I lost all strength in my right arm."

Following surgical repairs, a now-100-percent Harrison can focus on winning the fight MMA fans have waited a half-decade (or more) to see unfold.

Harrison said that if the UFC hadn't continued to push for a fight against Nunes, Harrison contemplated walking away from MMA entirely.

"Probably. I mean, just to be honest," Harrison said. "Yeah."

Now, her legacy-defining fight is just around the corner.