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Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer
Kayla Harrison has a new opponent for her return to competition later this month.
Harrison (15-1) will now face Aspen Ladd on Nov. 24 inside The Anthem in Washington. Harrison was originally supposed to face former Bellator MMA champion Julia Budd, but PFL announced Budd had “refused to fulfill her contractual obligation.”
The new fight will take place at a catchweight of 150 pounds. No additional details on Budd’s withdrawal were provided.
Ladd (11-4), of Pioneer, California, knew there was a chance she might compete on the Nov. 24 event, although most likely as an alternate to the 2023 women’s featherweight finals. A former UFC veteran, Ladd is 2-1 in the PFL, including a win over Budd.
Harrison is a two-time PFL champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo. She has not fought yet in 2023, as she was waiting for a potential fight against Bellator MMA’s Cris Cyborg. That fight failed to materialize earlier this year, however, when Cyborg chose to re-sign with Bellator after extended negotiations with the PFL.
The Nov. 24 event will feature the 2023 finals matchup in all six of PFL’s promoted weight classes, as well as multiple showcase bouts featuring some of the bigger names on the company’s roster.