Team USA judoka Kayla Harrison has "Ronda Rousey complex," considers MMA

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Kayla Harrison has a "Ronda Rousey complex," and it's for good reason.

Harrison was the first American to ever win an Olympic gold medal in judo when she won in the 2012 London Summer Games. She won another Thursday after her battle with France's Audrey Tcheumeo in the women's 78 kg gold medal bout. Harrison has become famous in judo circles, but nothing like Rousey.

Rousey and Harrison were once judo training partners before Rousey turned to MMA in 2011. She quickly became the sport's first female champion and most polarizing personality. Those accomplishments have only launched Rousey into superstardom, while Harrison has hit her ceiling in the sport.

"I guess I have always had a little bit of a Ronda Rousey complex, you could say," Harrison told the Sporting News. "Anything she does, I want to do, and I want to do it better."

Rousey hasn't competed in MMA since losing her world championship title to Holly Holm in November.

"Obviously, MMA is something that I'm considering," Harrison told SB Nation. "It could potentially be a very lucrative career for me, but at this point, my focus is just on the tournament on August 11. Then, maybe a beach somewhere here in Rio for a couple of days, and then I'll make some big decisions. But I know I'm very fortunate. I have a good team around me -- my coaches, my manager, my agent. They'll have my best interest in heart, so I trust them, and they're gonna advise me in the right direction, and we'll see what happens."

Harrison, 26, considered joining MMA but decided against it after a knee injury and advice from coaches.

MMA promotions have already made several offers for the judoka, but none have been accepted.

"Several contracts have been sent to my agent," Harrison told the Sporting News. "He's looked at it, and he's said 'no' to all of them. He said there's not enough money. And I trust him. But, again, we're not making any decisions right now. We have had offers, we had contracts sent, but I think once the Olympics are over, and everything sorts of settles down, I can decide whether or not I like to punch people in the face."

Harrison was sexually abused by an Ohio coach at 16-years-old, but now hopes to empower others. She later moved from Ohio to Massachusetts to train with her current coach, Jimmy Pedro.

"She intends to use her Gold Medal profile, voice, and example to encourage and empower others," her official website says. "She also plans to maintain her dominance on the mat by remaining a competitive Judo player with sights on defending her Gold Medal in Rio in 2016."

Rousey earned $6.5 million in 2015, according to Forbes. Harrison is currently ranked the No. 1 judoka in the world.