Kayla Harrison Reveals She Was Peeing Blood Before UFC 307 Win

Two-time Olympic judo champion Kayla Harrison experienced a somewhat bearable but alarming health issue long before her UFC showdown against Ketlen Vieira. Before her sweet victory, she had been undergoing quite a mystery.

Heading into her UFC 307 win, the MMA star fought hard in the bantamweight division, securing a place as the number one contender for Julianna Pena's title despite a tough week.

Health Issues Before the Fight

Perhaps it was a bit of a post-fight bombshell when Harrison admitted she was "pee-in blood" during the week leading up to the fight. The health scare added to her justifiable performance at par, BBC reports.

Taking the fight still, Harrison won via points over Vieira. The UFC knew that she went to hospital during the run-up to the bout, but Harrison never elaborated much on what the health issue was.

"I need to take a little bit of time off just because of the weight cut and the process that it is for my body. I'm just not built to weigh 135lb. Anytime I get under the 150s, it's not pleasant," Harrison told TMZ.

"The first time [I fought in the UFC] was [the] fear of, like, 'Can I do it? This time it was fear of, like, 'Oh God, I have to do it'. The anticipation. But I'm blessed. I have such a good team," she added.

Transition to UFC and Bantamweight Division

Harrison, 34, has been irresistible in the lightweight division at 155 lbs PFL. Since moving to the UFC this year, though, she has dropped to 135-lb bantamweight, where she is still doing very well. Her win against Vieira will surely catapult her to new heights within the UFC ranks.

She entered the UFC after submitting former champion Holly Holm in her debut, and thus, she is indeed an elite grappler. She's on a two-fight win streak and will knock on the title-shot door.

The Road to a Title Shot

With her latest victory, Harrison has propelled herself into position as the first-line challenger to Julianna Pena's bantamweight title. However, on Saturday, UFC 307 saw Pena collect a split decision over Raquel Pennington to retain her championship. Instead of stepping forward to challenge Harrison, Pena focused her attention elsewhere: on the retired champion Amanda Nunes and keeping murmurs of a potential showdown alive.

As Harrison waits for her title shot, she is still on a quest to track every detail in the UFC and conquer all obstacles that come her way. Despite health setbacks, she continues to prove why she is considered one of the top fighters in this division.

Related Article: Alexa Grasso's Net Worth in 2024: How the UFC Champion Built Her Wealth