Kayla Harrison vs. Kaitlin Young set for PFL 6 following Julia Budd injury

Kayla Harrison has a new opponent for PFL 6. The former lightweight tournament winner will face former Invicta FC title challenger Kaitlin Young.

The 31-year-old was set to face former Bellator featherweight champion Julia Budd at PFL 6. The bout was expected to be the biggest test of Harrison’s career to date. However, the matchup is no more.

ESPN MMA was the first to report the news that Julia Budd was out of PFL 6. The severity of the injury wasn’t disclosed. However, what is known, is who Harrison will face at PFL 6 next month. Her opponent is noted women’s pioneer Kaitlin Young.

The 36-year-old has been fighting since 2007 and holds wins over Miesha Tate, Julie Kedzie, and Cindy Dandois. She retired from the sport in 2014 and began working as a matchmaker for Invicta FC. She eventually unretired in 2018 and has had mixed success.

Kaitlin Young is currently riding a two-fight losing streak in PFL. While she’s on a losing streak now, she’s not too far removed from an Invicta FC featherweight title opportunity in 2019.

On the other end, Kayla Harrison is expected to be a massive favorite for the fight. The undefeated gold medalist is 13-0 in her MMA career to date and is coming off a win over Marina Mokhnatkina in May. She’s been virtually untested in her professional career thus far.

The former PFL lightweight tournament champion reacted to the news on Twitter. Some fans, bashed the fight’s announcement, given Young’s record. However, Harrison noted that she’s not the one who booked the fight or pulled out of the original bout.

Y’all act like I’m the one who pulled out of the fight. Best wishes to Budd on a speedy recovery. 🙏🏻

— Kayla Harrison Official (@KaylaH) June 24, 2022

“Y’all act like I’m the one who pulled out of the fight. Best wishes to Budd on a speedy recovery.”

What do you think about Kayla Harrison vs. Kaitlyn Young? Who are you picking in that lightweight showdown? Sound off in the comments below!