3 women who could be UFC champion someday

1. Kayla Harrison

Former two-time Olympic judo gold medalist and PFL champion Kayla Harrison (16-1) is sure to shake things up at bantamweight when she debuts at UFC 300 against former UFC champion Holly Holm (15-6). Speculation and anticipation have built for years regarding how well Harrison could compete in the UFC. Harrison's dominant run through outside organizations has made her one of the most prized free agents the UFC has ever secured.

Harrison is unproven at bantamweight. She has spent the majority of her career tossing around opponents at lightweight since switching to MMA full-time in 2018. However, she captured two season titles with the PFL in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Harrison is also a former training partner of the legendary judoka and first-ever UFC women's bantamweight champion Rousey.

Time spent at famous training camps like American Top Team has prepared Harrison for a successful MMA run after moving on from competitive judo. She has stacked 12 finish victories in her career thus far, with six submissions and six knockouts. Her suffocating ground game has been compared to fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The 33-year-old Harrison has the potential to make a strong run at bantamweight. She is a fresh challenge for the division's mainstays and is sure to be a force in the division if able to replicate her PFL success. The fact she is so much more imposing than many of her divisional counterparts is sure to make her grappling an even tougher puzzle to solve.

The former champion Holm is a great first test for Harrison. A strong performance will show where Harrison stands in the division and prime her for a run at the title. Harrison has conquered every sport and promotion she has competed in thus far. If anyone has the tools to be a future UFC bantamweight champion, it's her.