Ariel Helwani Clarifies Claim Kayla Harrison Turned Down Cris Cyborg PFL Fight

Famed MMA journalist Ariel Helwani has weighed in on the ongoing delays in Kayla Harrison vs. Cris Cyborg coming to fruition. 

For years, Cyborg has dominated the competition in Bellator, where she is the women's featherweight champion. Harrison, meanwhile, enjoyed a long run of dominance in the PFL women's lightweight division. 

For some time now, there has been considerable fan interest in seeing the pair duke it out. Both have teased the fight's potential to materialize in recent years, and with the PFL acquiring Bellator late last year, it seemed like the bout was finally close to getting booked. 

For now, however, it appears the fight does not have any near date to look forward to, with rumors abounding of late that Harrison might've turned it down. 

'That Is Not 100% True' - Ariel Helwani On Kayla Harrison Rumors

Ariel Helwani recently revealed that the claim Kayla Harrison turned down a Cyborg fight, a narrative started by the Brazilian herself, is not accurate.

During a recent episode of The MMA Hour, the Canadian reporter explained that neither Harrison nor Cyborg are expected for the upcoming Bellator vs. PFL card, and that's not down to the former rejecting an offer.

"That is not 100 percent true," Helwani said. "They are gonna do this card, my understanding is neither Kayla nor Cris is on it, and I think that's a little bit of a bummer because when you think about Bellator versus PFL, the first fight that comes to mind is Kayla versus Cyborg, but there's different factors at play here."

Helwani explained that there are a few issues delaying the fight right now, including Harrison's contract status and Cyborg's upcoming professional boxing bout. 

"Number one: Kayla's contract, she told us that that was her last fight, the one that was in late November," Helwani revealed. "And Cris has a boxing match coming up, and I think it's a little bit too close to this proposed February 24 date, so I don't think Kayla- I mean, Kayla may've turned it down as part of a, 'Hey, if you re-sign, you get this,' but like, come on, that's not exactly telling the truth."