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Jeff WagenheimESPN
Kayla Harrison made it look easy once again Thursday night, moving away from a final step of her second consecutive $ 1 million championship in the PFL playoffs.
The two-time Olympic gold judoka remained undefeated in MMA with a first-round TKO from Genah Fabian in the women’s lightweight semifinals in Hollywood, Florida.
Harrison (11-0) had control from the start, or at least for about 45 seconds. That’s when Harrison closed the distance and locked his opponent on a hook against the cage. Fabian, former Muay Thai kickboxing world champion, was able to stand for more than a minute, but by half-turn Harrison had put him on his back and had side control.
Then Harrison, the 2019 PFL champion, moved to the maximum and started throwing punches until referee Andrew Glenn jumped into the fight as a TKO in the 4th minute, 1 second of the first round.
“Listen, everyone keeps saying, oh, how do you solve Kayla Harrison’s puzzle? … Aileron alert: no puzzles,” Harrison said. “I put you on your back and hurt you.”
Harrison, who coaches the American Top Team at nearby Coconut Creek, messed up Fabian a lot in less than a round, getting a surprising 66-0 lead. He will then direct his fury towards Taylor Guardado, who won a spot in the Oct. 27 final by defeating alternative Mariana Morais in the other 155-pound semifinal on Thursday. Harrison is No. 2 seed, Guardado No. 3. Morais was a late replacement for seed chief Larissa Pacheco, who lost weight Wednesday.
“I told you, one by one, they’ll all fall,” Harrison said. “So doubt me now, but I’ll show you how great I am.”
Fabian (4-2), 31, of New Zealand, trains at City Kickboxing, home to two UFC champions: middleweight Israel Adesanya and featherweight Alexander Volkanovski. In the run-up to Thursday’s game, this gym pedigree was often posed as Fabian’s best hope. Harrison did not buy it.
“You kept talking about scientists, oh, the City Kickboxing scientists,” Harrison said. “Izzy couldn’t stop my eliminations.”
The other semi-finals on Thursday set the PFL heavyweight final, which will pit Bruno Cappelozza against Ante Delija. Cappelozza, the first seed, finished with No. 4 head Jamelle Jones in the second round. Delija, the No. 3 leader, upset second-placed Denis Goltsov by unanimous decision.
The finals of the PFL’s six weight classes will also be at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood and will be on ESPN2. The welterweight and lightweight finalists were determined last week and the featherweight and heavyweight semifinals will be fought on August 27th.