Ali Abdelaziz on Kayla Harrison free agency, why she should be No. 1 in women's P4P rankings
Dominance MMA CEO Ali Abdelaziz tells Yahoo Sports that Kayla Harrison, not Amanda Nunes, is the GOAT of women's MMA and should be recognized as such.
Video Transcript
[CHEERING]
KEVIN IOLE: There's some big news coming up in the MMA world, if it's not already been made, and you can let us know. But Kayla Harrison has been a free agent. A lot of people have been recruiting her. Reports have been that Kayla was going to re-sign with the PFL. Where does she stand? What can you tell us on Kayla Harrison and her future?
ALI ABDELAZIZ: You know, PFL-- at the end of the day, I'm in this business about making money. Kayla, like I said, history. I disagree with her. She wanted to go and fight Amanda, you know. But at the end of the day, everybody thought Amanda was the GOAT, you know.
Love Dana White but Dana was wrong. She was not the GOAT. Ronda was not the GOAT. Cyborg is definitely not the GOAT. The GOAT is Kayla Harrison, right? And, you know, if Amanda would have won, Kayla may have went to the UFC and fought her. But anyway, at the end of the day, she's the GOAT. Everybody should be chasing Kayla now.
It looks like the PFL is going to write a bigger check. Deal is not done. Couple issues, we tried to go around it. But everybody know my relationship with be PFL is solid. We have great communication. I feel they did a lot for Kayla's career. And I have to give them a little bit of respect because they deserve it.
KEVIN IOLE: Let me ask you two questions about this then. Number one, I have her way up in my pound for pound rankings, so I think she's a fantastic fighter--
ALI ABDELAZIZ: And I want to ask you a question. Is she number one your pound for pound ranking or no?
KEVIN IOLE: Valentina is number one and then she's number two.
ALI ABDELAZIZ: No, you got to change it. You're wrong.
KEVIN IOLE: No, I know I'm right and you're wrong. But--
ALI ABDELAZIZ: OK.
KEVIN IOLE: But I think Kay-- here's the thing, here's the difference between Valentina and Kayla-- and that was going to lead to my next question, so that's good that you brought that up. I think that Valentina has beaten more good fighters and Kayla has beaten, right? In MMA. And that's the one question, like until she beats an Amanda Nunes or a Cyborg or somebody like that, they're going to be the questions out there about her.
ALI ABDELAZIZ: Kevin, we tried to beat Amanda Nunes. But Amanda Nunes quit. She quit in the fight.
KEVIN IOLE: I agree.
ALI ABDELAZIZ: How I'm going to-- you know. I don't really, you know. They did not promoted that she can beat up guys. All this kind of stuff. But she lost to-- what's her name, the girl she lost to?
KEVIN IOLE: Julianna Pena.
ALI ABDELAZIZ: Julianna Pena. She just got choked out by Germaine de Randomie three fights ago, you know what I'm saying? Like how many fights Valentina had lost?
KEVIN IOLE: She lost two fights I think it was, right?
ALI ABDELAZIZ: She lost to someone who quit. I love Valentina. I think she's amazing. But if you don't have Valentina and Kayla fight, who's going to win?
KEVIN IOLE: Well, there's size difference, Ali. Come on. I mean, Valentina is a 125-pounder. That's not fair.
ALI ABDELAZIZ: Yeah, but she fought Amanda Nunes. Amanda Nunes is the GOAT, right? It's all relative.
KEVIN IOLE: You're very close to Amanda.
ALI ABDELAZIZ: Listen, nobody dominate people like Kayla does. You understand? No, you know-- realistically, the only woman that can beat man is Kayla Harrison. That's the only woman can beat men. Outside that, nobody can touch even her [INAUDIBLE].
KEVIN IOLE: But who can she beat in MMA?
ALI ABDELAZIZ: Aljamain Sterling.
KEVIN IOLE: Mm-hmm. Now--
ALI ABDELAZIZ: He's my friend. I think Kayla beat Aljamain Sterling 9 times out of 10.
KEVIN IOLE: Whoa, crazy, ooh. Hey, Aljamain Sterling is not going to be happy to hear you say that.
ALI ABDELAZIZ: He's my friend but that's what I believe so.
KEVIN IOLE: OK, well--
ALI ABDELAZIZ: He's the champ. He's the baddest man in the 135 Division. He's the man. And I have to talk about the man. I didn't talk about somebody else. He's the guy. And I got to give him respect. But I think Kayla can beat him.