'There's a UFC belt at end of tunnel', Harrison tells abuse victims

Warning: This article contains an relationship of intersexual abuse.

Kayla Harrison ne'er holds backmost erstwhile telling her communicative of intersexual maltreatment because she wants to springiness young victims hope.

"There is simply a shiny golden badge astatine nan extremity of nan tunnel. There is simply a UFC loop astatine nan extremity of nan passageway - but you person to opportunity thing and we person to support talking astir it," says Harrison.

As a child, Harrison was abused by her judo coach. After her mother reported it to nan police, he was arrested, recovered blameworthy and sentenced to 10 years successful prison.

Harrison is simply a double Olympic golden medallist judoka and two-time Professional Fighters League (PFL) champion, who has utilized her position arsenic 1 of nan world's champion athletes to raise consciousness of kid intersexual abuse.

In 2018 she wrote a book pinch nan purpose of educating parents connected really to spot signs that a kid is being groomed truthful they tin return preventative action.

Now, nan 34-year-old has her biggest level to raise consciousness of nan issue.

On Saturday she will look chap American Julianna Pena for nan bantamweight title astatine UFC 316 successful Newark, New Jersey.

"I'm nary longer that 10-year-old girl, that 16-year-old girl. I'm an big now and I consciousness deity gave maine this communicative for a logic and it's my occupation to usage it to make nan world a amended place. I want to talk astir it," said Harrison.

"It is important to me. I don't ever want different small boy aliases woman to consciousness alone, to consciousness dirty, to consciousness ashamed. There is hope."

Harrison joined nan UFC past year, submitting Holly Holm connected her debut successful April earlier earning a determination triumph complete Ketlen Vieira successful October.

Pena, 35, won nan bantamweight title pinch a split-decision triumph complete Raquel Pennington successful October and is making nan first defence of her reign.

As she has done against erstwhile opponents, Pena has tried to summation a intelligence advantage by trash talking successful caller weeks - but Harrison believes it has helped her ain banal rise.

"Julianna is nan cleanable villain to make maine a hero," said Harrison.

"I don't cognize if it's my dominance, aliases because I'm truthful physically strong-looking, aliases possibly because I haven't been successful nan UFC for excessively long, but I felt group weren't excessively keen connected me.

"But now I consciousness for illustration I'm America's sweetheart, I'm conscionable gonna return it and tally pinch it."

Harrison switched to mixed martial arts (MMA) from judo, making her master debut successful 2018 earlier winning 18 of her 19 master bouts.

She was driven by trophies and occurrence during her sparkling judo career, but has mostly been spurred connected by her family since starting MMA.

In 2020, Harrison adopted her niece Kyla and nephew Emery erstwhile her stepdad, who was looking aft nan children astatine nan time, died suddenly.

Harrison says "this loop is for me" erstwhile asked what winning a UFC title would consciousness like, and points to nan acquisition she has gained arsenic a mother successful fuelling her ambition.

"My kids person taught maine there's truthful overmuch much to life than golden medals and trophies. Everyone ever asks maine wherever I support my Olympic golden medals - they're successful my sock drawer collecting dust," said Harrison.

"Nobody cares - my kids judge don't care. They attraction I travel home. I'm mum and play Nerf weapon wars pinch them, fto them person crystal pick - that's what it's each about.

"It's fixed maine a caller peace, a caller understanding, a caller freedom, and it's made maine a amended fighter."

If you person been affected by issues raised successful this article, location is accusation and support disposable connected BBC Action Line.