Kayla Harrison is fast approaching her first title shot in the UFC, with bantamweight queen Julianna Pena looking to keep her away from the throne.
Harrison will challenge Pena at UFC 316, a pay-per-view that the pair’s 135-pound title fight will co-headline on June 7.
The event, which will go down inside the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, will feature another title fight as Merab Dvalishvili defends against Sean O’Malley in the main event.
When it comes to animosity in the build-up, most of it has been reserved for the women’s championship clash. ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ added more heat to the rivalry when she accused Harrison of using steroids throughout her combat sports career.
In that sense, Harrison is in the same boat as her former teammate and another of the champion’s longtime rivals. Pena also accused Amanda Nunes of PED usage in late 2024.
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Harrison was unsurprisingly unhappy with the allegation, hitting back by stating her upcoming opponent has “no class” and reiterating how seriously she takes claims of “cheating.”
And the American Top Team standout’s coach, ex-fighter Mike Brown, recently chimed in himself during an interview with MMA Fighting.
Brown sought to give Pena a wake-up call about the “freaks” who rule over their respective sports, and hinted that the bantamweight champion is simply jealous of not being among them.
“I mean, I get it. She doesn’t look normal. But that’s how the world is,” Brown said. “There are people that aren’t normal, that don’t look normal. There are freaks out there, and those freaks rise to the top of sports.
“Just because you’re not like that, doesn’t mean somebody else cannot be. … Somebody who’s taking illegal substances, you can see, their body changes in a week. … No, [Harrison] is 100 percent clean.
“Just because you can’t do it, doesn’t mean somebody else can’t.”
Julianna Pena warned Kayla Harrison not to underestimate the champion
Harrison’s lead trainer isn’t the only coach to have recently discussed the feud with Pena.
In 2024, prior to confirmation that the two would co-headline UFC 316, the champ’s coach Mike Valle commented on Harrison’s confidence when it comes to defeating Pena.
Valle is predicting a moment of realization to hit the challenger when she is standing across from Pena inside the cage.
“Whenever Harrison does see Julianna in front of her, she’s going to be like ‘Oh my god, this girl is way better than what I thought,’ and she’s going to be in tons of trouble.
“That’s what makes this fight so interesting, all the respect to her and her team but I can’t wait for [it].”
‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ is being widely counted out in the lead-up to UFC 316 and will make the walk on June 7 as a massive underdog.
But Pena is no stranger to upsets, having pulled off an all-time UFC shock when she submitted Amanda Nunes in December 2021.