PFL Chairman Donn Davis Fires Back at Dana White & UFC, While Discussing Kayla Harrison Situation
By FCF Staff
Recently, UFC President Dana White has argued Kayla Harrison would be better off, staying in the PFL and fighting the competition there. According to the league’s chairman, however, White’s comments are par for the course.
Harrison is preparing to fight for her second, lightweight championship with the PFL, as the decorated Judoka will take on Taylor Guardado tonight. The bout is Harrison’s last on her PFL contract, and as a result, there’s been extensive speculation about whether the UFC might sign here.
While White hasn’t said he’s not interested in signing the former Olympic Gold Medalist, recently he argued that if he was Harrison, he’d continue fighting in the PFL and not challenge UFC champ, Amanda Nunes.
Since then, PFL Chairman Donn Davis appeared on “The MMA Hour” and while discussing White’s comments, he took issue with promotion’s president and the UFC (quotes via MMA Fighting).
“I think that’s what they do in the UFC,” Davis said. “They do two things: They try to put fighters down to increase their leverage, and they try to make it all about them and not the fighters. We don’t do that here. We know the fighters are the stars, not the promoter. They forget that. The fighters are the stars, not the promoter.
“We try to build up our fighters. I love Kayla. I’m not going to bad mouth or talk about any of our fighters to have a negotiating position with them. I love them all and I want them all to be here. We’re going to do everything to keep them here. We like to build up their energy. We like to support their pursuits. So we just have a more positive outlook on how to have a relationship between the fighters and the league.”
The 31-year-old Harrison has gone 11-0 in pro-MMA bouts to date.