Kayla Harrison is as bodily spectacular as any fighter within the UFC, which could irk rival Julianna Peña, however that doesn’t imply the two-time Olympic gold medalist bought there by dishonest.
That’s in line with Harrison’s longtime head coach Mike Brown from American High Group, who responded to Peña accusing Harrison, MMA Preventing’s No. 1 bantamweight, attaining her rating partly due to abusing steroids. Whereas it’s not the primary time Harrison has heard that line, Peña claimed her UFC 316 title challenger was “on steroids and hopefully she cycles off of them earlier than June 7” after they meet within the co-main occasion.
Regardless of Harrison having by no means failed a single drug take a look at, Peña nonetheless lobbed the accusations and Brown was fast to close her down.
“I imply I get it, she doesn’t look regular however that’s how the world is,” Brown informed MMA Preventing. “There are people who find themselves not regular. They don’t look regular. There are freaks on the market, and people freaks, they rise to the highest of sports activities.
“There are folks that have irregular builds in each path. There are folks which might be tremendous sturdy, tremendous quick, tremendous fast, tremendous endurance and simply since you’re not like that, doesn’t imply someone else can’t be.”
Whereas Peña had no proof to again up her allegations, she stated Harrison “regarded like a woman” and she or he was “very female” throughout her march to 2 Olympic gold medals however since coming to MMA she appears to be like “tremendous juicy and lower up.”
Peña failed to say Harrison captured championships on the Olympics whereas competing at 78 kilograms – almost 172 kilos – and people athletes need to endure same-day weigh-ins not like MMA fighters. Since transitioning to combating full-time, Harrison first competed at 155 kilos earlier than shedding much more weight to maneuver to the UFC the place she now fights at 135 kilos.
In different phrases, Harrison is strolling round and combating at a a lot decrease weight than she did within the Olympics, which might clarify the change in her physique and look. If Peña needs to go by the attention take a look at, Brown concedes that’s additionally a simple indicator to determine when an athlete is taking performance-enhancing medication, however he doesn’t really feel Harrison qualifies by these requirements.
“The largest indicator for me as someone who’s clear is someone who’s secure,” Brown defined. “Their physique appears to be like the identical over extended durations of time. [Kayla] is all the time the identical. She doesn’t change. In fact, while you’re chopping weight it’s going to alter however like someone who’s taking unlawful substances, you possibly can see. Their physique modifications in per week. You’ll see ups and downs in folks taking testosterone or one thing like this.
“No, she is 100% a clear athlete. At all times has been, all the time shall be. Doesn’t want it. She’s a freak amongst freaks. Not a standard athlete by any means. A particular athlete.”
As a result of Harrison is such a uncommon breed, Brown is aware of it’s going to be laborious for some to fathom that the 34-year-old Ohio native achieved her chiseled-from-stone physique by all-natural means. Brown guarantees he sees the laborious work Harrison places in each single day and that she doesn’t take any shortcuts alongside the way in which.
Peña might not wish to imagine it, however Brown is aware of she’s simply not constructed like Harrison and that’s a tricky capsule to swallow.
“They’re on the market,” Brown stated about specimens like Harrison. “Individuals simply suppose as a result of they have a look at themselves and the way they’re constructed and the way they had been introduced up. That’s not the highest of the meals chain. There are folks on the market that aren’t regular.
“Similar to in basketball, there are athletes which might be [7-foot-6, 7-foot-7], there are athletes which might be unbelievably muscular or athletes which have unbelievable conditioning that appears unworldly. Simply because you possibly can’t do it, doesn’t imply someone else can’t.”
