OLYMPIC and MMA champion Kayla Harrison is set to judge alongside Wiz Khalifa in the Professional Fighters League’s Challenger Series.
The PFL is MMA’s only seasonal format, consisting of qualifying and knockout stages.
Two-time Olympic and PFL champion Kayla Harrison
The Mega AgencyWiz Khalifa will judge on the PFL’s Challenger Series[/caption]
Points are earned per method of victory in the two regular season bouts, with the top four in each weight progressing.
A semi-final and winner-takes-all finale fight follows where a $1million prize cheque is at stake.
The PFL’s Challenger Series hosts four bouts an event, with winners then in contention to earn themselves a full promotional contract.
Who gets a contract is decided by the viewers at home and a celebrity panel, which will be led on Friday night by two-time Olympic and PFL champ Harrison.
She will be joined by rapper and PFL stakeholder Khalifa as well as MMA legend Randy Couture.
Harrison told SunSport: “Listen, I love Randy. I hesitate to say idol but he’s a huge role model of mine.
“He’s always been so kind to me, so good to me, very practical and given me great advice, so I’m just excited to see Randy and hang out with him.
“And Wiz, I don’t know him personally but he does seem very passionate about the sport so it should be a good night learning more about him and his involvement in the PFL.”
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It will be up to Harrison, Khalifa and Couture to help pick out what winners is deserving of the contract, with opinions due to clash.
Harrison said: “That’s going to be the most interesting part, for sure.
“I’m excited to judge alongside Randy because again, he’s a role model of mine, a mentor of mine so to be able to see how he sees things.
“I watch fights and I listen but it’s different when you’re there live, watching it go down and hearing their thoughts and how they’re seeing things.
“So I’m excited for that, because he’s great at his job and he was a great fighter, so it’s going to be good.
“And Wiz I’m sure – Randy and I will be agreeing the whole time and Wiz will be like, ‘No, the crazy one!’”
Harrison, who won judo gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, hailed the series which debuted in February 2022.
She added: “I’m really enjoying it, I think it’s a great concept.
“I’m a fan of the twists they’ve put on; earning a contract, having celebrity judges, letting the fans vote, I think that’s really cool.
“It makes for an exciting night of fights and gives these athletes, most of the pretty young in their career, the chance to change their lives.”
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