(This story first appeared at USA TODAY Sports.)

Two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison is turning her attention to mixed martial arts.

Harrison, 26, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that she has signed with World Series of Fighting (WSOF) to serve as a commentator and brand ambassador, and to eventually debut as a professional fighter, as well.

“I’ve been boxing and doing jiu-jitsu and all that, and the biggest thing for me, really, is that I miss competing,” Harrison said. “I miss fighting on the highest stages of the world, and the World Series of Fighting really gave me a great opportunity.”

According to WSOF CEO Carlos Silva, Harrison will make her on-air debut for the promotion on Dec. 31 for the company’s NBC-broadcast WSOF 34 event at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“For me, personally, having been president of Universal Sports and being very involved in the Olympic movement with NBC, I’m personally just very excited to have Kayla join our team,” Silva said. “If you haven’t ever held a gold medal or seen a gold medal, it’s special, and the people that get them are special. We’re just excited to have her join the team.”

The mixed martial arts world has clamored for the possibility of Harrison transitioning to the sport. After all, former Olympic judo bronze medalist Ronda Rousey – a former Harrison training partner – helped bring attention to the women’s divisions and remains one of the biggest stars in the sport, despite losing the UFC women’s bantamweight title to Holly Holm in November 2015.

Harrison knows the comparisons are easy to make but insists she won’t feel pressure to live up to Rousey’s accomplishments.

“A lot of times people like to compare me to Ronda,” Harrison said. “I’m my own person. I make my own decisions. I’ll do it in my own time.”

Harrison, who claimed gold medals at 78 kg (approx. 172 pounds) at both the 2016 Rio de Janeiro and 2012 London Games, said she’s excited to sign the all-encompassing deal with WSOF but believes she’ll need at least an additional year of steady training before she’s ready to step into the cage.

Still, she’s aware of the excitement surrounding her transition and plans to prove she’s worth the hype.

“I just want everyone to be excited and expect big things from me,” Harrison said. “This is only the beginning.

“I’m excited for this new chapter. I’m excited to commentate. I’m excited to be a brand ambassador and help the World Series of Fighting grow their organization, as well as help me grow myself as a fighter, as a brand myself, and my foundation. So it’s all coming together, and I’m really excited to be working with such a positive and professional team.”

Silva welcomes the enthusiasm, as well, and said he believes Harrison can become a star in the sport.

“I don’t think you ever temper the enthusiasm around a two-time gold medalist in judo,” Carlos said. “No, I think everyone will be as enthusiastic as we are.

“She can enter into mixed martial arts with a huge confidence around such a core foundational component of MMA. So I’m not going to try and temper any enthusiasm. People can get as enthusiastic as they want because I know I am.”

For more on WSOF 34, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.