Kayla Harrison issues emotional first statement after ‘painful’ upset loss

Kayla Harrison lost for the first time in her MMA career, dropping a decision to Larissa Pacheco in their $1 million PFL tournament final. The two-time Olympic Judo gold medalist handled the shocking and “painful” upset pretty well, all things considered.

“I obviously just lost my title. That hurts and it’s going to hurt for a while,” an emotional Harrison said, tearing up while discussing the loss. She also thanked her team for working through the holidays with her for this bout. “I know I have a really blessed life, so although it hurts, I know I’m going to comeback stronger.

“It’s different (from my losses in Judo) in the sense there’s $1 million on the line. I feel like I’m the face of…