Harrison to make UFC debut against Holm

Former two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison has joined the UFC and will make her debut against Holly Holm at the promotion's landmark 300 event in Las Vegas on 13 April.

American Harrison, 33, last fought in the PFL in November, beating Julia Budd.

Her deal with the UFC puts an end to speculation of a meeting with Bellator featherweight champion Cris Cyborg.

The PFL acquired Bellator in November in a "transformative deal".

Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medallist in judo, will drop 20lb from lightweight in order to fight two weight classes below at bantamweight for the bout with 42-year-old Holm.

American Holm is a former UFC bantamweight champion after shocking Ronda Rousey in 2015.

She has won eight of her 15 UFC bouts, with her last fight against Mayra Bueno Silva in July being deemed a no-contest after the Brazilian tested positive for the banned substance ritalinic acid.

A win for Harrison or Holm could put them in contention to face new bantamweight title-holder Raquel Pennington, who beat Silva at UFC 298 last week.

Following Pennington's victory, former double champion Amanda Nunes also hinted at coming out of retirement in an interview with ESPN., external

Like Cyborg, Nunes is another fighter who has long been touted by pundits as an exciting opponent for Harrison, with the pair exchanging words over social media.

Harrison and Holm's contest at UFC 300 joins a host of confirmed match-ups for the event, including a lightweight fight for the symbolic BMF belt between Americans Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway, as well as a strawweight title bout between China's Zhang Weili and her compatriot Yan Xiaonan.