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Olympian Kayla Harrison is reportedly going to MMA

Kayla Harrison in June.Jim Davis/Globe Staff/File

Wakefield resident and two-time Olympic gold winner Kayla Harrison is reportedly making the jump from judo to MMA.

The New York Post reports that Harrison, one of the greatest judokas America has ever seen, recently signed two contracts with the MMA World Series of Fighting. She will soon begin serving as a brand ambassador and commentator, and also plans to start fighting late next year, according to the report.

A Facebook Live post from the MMA World Series of Fighting on Wednesday also referred to Harrison as a “Future WSOF Fighter.” Harrison herself also retweeted a Twitter post linking to the article.

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This summer, Harrison dominated the women’s 78-kilogram tournament en route to her second gold medal at the Rio Olympics.

“My judo legacy is fulfilled,” said Harrison after winning her second gold medal at the Rio Olympics in August. “I’m happy with my career.”

Harrison won her first gold medal during the London Olympics in 2012.

“It’s really hard to repeat as Olympic champion,” Harrison told the Globe this past summer. “It’s probably one of the hardest things you can do, especially from the United States in a sport like judo. We don’t have the bodies. We don’t have the funding.”


Material from previous Globe articles were used in this report.