Two-time PFL women’s lightweight world champion Kayla Harrison will face a different opponent at the 2023 PFL World Championships.
After PFL officials stated that Harrison’s original opponent Julia Budd had “refused to fulfill her contractual obligation,” former UFC bantamweight contender has been drafted in on two weeks’ notice to take on the two-time Olympic judo champion.
The event, which takes place at The Anthem in Washington DC on November 24, will see the conclusion of the PFL’s 2023 season, with each of the six season finals set to feature on the 12-fight card.
Harrison’s return to action will be the only non-championship matchup on the pay-per-view main card, and she’ll face Ladd, who is stepping in on short notice, but has been training as an alternate for the featherweight final, which will see Larissa Pacheco take on Marina Mokhnatkina.
Harrison was originally set to face Budd at 145 pounds, but with the opponent change, the PFL has set her new matchup with Ladd at a catchweight of 150 pounds.
2023 PFL World Championships
MAIN CARD
- Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Clay Collard – for lightweight championship
- Denis Goltsov vs. Renan Ferreira – for heavyweight championship
- Larissa Pacheco vs. Marina Mokhnatkina – for women’s featherweight championship
- Kayla Harrison vs. Aspen Ladd
- Sadibou Sy vs. Magomed Magomedkerimov – for welterweight championship
- Gabriel Braga vs. Jesus Pinedo – for featherweight championship
- Josh Silveira vs. Impa Kasanganay – for light heavyweight championship
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Ray Cooper III vs. Derek Brunson
- Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Joel Lopez
- Bubba Jenkins vs. Chris Wade
- Khai Wu vs. Phil Caracappa
- Jesse Stim vs. Josh Blyden