Harrison repeats as PFL champ with submission vs. Guardado

Kayla Harrison is widely viewed as the face of the PFL, and she proved why once again Wednesday night.

Harrison, who entered this season as the reigning women's lightweight champion, submitted Taylor Guardado with an armbar at the 4:00 mark of the second round in the PFL 10 main event to claim the title and $1-million grand prize for the second straight time.

The 31-year-old scored a takedown one minute into the round, and that was the beginning of the end. She eventually got into full mount before taking Guardado's back and flattening her out. Guardado briefly returned to a safer position, but Harrison reached full mount again and went for the armbar, forcing her opponent to tap.

Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, spent more time in the cage than usual; her three previous wins in the 2021 PFL campaign all ended in the first round. She was around a -4000 favorite against Guardado, who won three fights by decision to reach the PFL finals.

This was the last fight on Harrison's PFL contract, so she will soon become one of the hottest free agents in MMA. Harrison did not indicate after the fight what she hopes will be in store for her career in 2022 - whether it's re-signing with PFL or leaving for the UFC, Bellator, or elsewhere. UFC president Dana White said earlier this week that Harrison should stay in the PFL to continue making an "obscene" amount of money.

Many pundits consider Harrison one of the only major challenges available for UFC two-division champion Amanda Nunes and Bellator women's featherweight titleholder Cris Cyborg, two of the most dominant fighters in MMA. Those would be two of the biggest matchups in women's MMA at the moment and would likely do big business. Harrison and Nunes both train out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida.

Harrison dominated Guardado from start to finish. She scored her first takedown of the fight 22 seconds in, and made it to full mount halfway through the first round. Harrison landed some heavy shots on the feet after Guardado got up.

It was more of the same in the second round, with Harrison pummeling Guardado on the ground before sinking in the submission that marked an end to the PFL's 2021 run.

Harrison remains undefeated as a professional MMA fighter; she improved her record to 12-0. She has only gone the distance twice, both times against Larissa Pacheco in 2019.

Harrison won her first PFL championship on New Year's Eve in 2019 and is the only women's lightweight titleholder in the promotion's history. The PFL did not have a season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eleven of Harrison's fights took place in the PFL, with the other happening under the Invicta FC banner last year while her home promotion was on hiatus.

Guardado, who was competing in just her fifth pro bout, saw her three-fight winning streak - which started in the PFL earlier in 2021 - come to an end. The 30-year-old is now 3-2 in MMA.