Kayla Harrison overcame a challenging weight cut to win the UFC bantamweight championship by submitting Julianna Peña, and she now looks forward to a potential matchup with Amanda Nunes.
Kayla Harrison always knew the toughest battle for UFC 316 would be with the scale. She almost didn’t make it.
In Saturday’s co-main event in Newark, N.J., Harrison showcased dominance by submitting Julianna Peña in the third round. Despite being the challenger, she was a huge favorite and proved why with her expert grappling.
A major question was whether Harrison could make championship weight. Previously, she competed as a lightweight in PFL and used the one-pound allowance in her UFC appearances. Yet, on Friday, she hit 135 pounds exactly.
It wasn’t easy.
“I would have chopped off my leg to make it to this fight,” Harrison admitted at the post-fight press conference. She spoke about the choice to persevere, describing a tough Thursday night in the sauna.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it, it sucks ass,” she continued. Her resilience shone through, joking with UFC CEO Dana White about being unbreakable, likening herself to a cockroach.
In her interview with Joe Rogan, Harrison mentioned the struggle of shedding the last few pounds. Her team’s support was crucial, and now, seven years into her career, she’s a UFC champion.
“It says more about my faith and my team than me,” Harrison reflected. She credited her coaches and weight-cut specialist Eric Pena for their encouragement.
Next up for Harrison is a matchup with Amanda Nunes, her former training partner. Harrison used her post-fight mic time to call out Nunes, who was cageside.
Both fighters have expressed mutual respect. Nunes, having retired in 2023, won 14 of her last 15 fights with multiple title defenses.
Harrison once dreamed of fighting Nunes twice for her belts. Now, she’s eager for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“I just want to fight,” Harrison said when asked about fighting Nunes. “I want to be the greatest of all time. It’s not personal, no bad blood. I don’t care what weight we fight at.” Then, with a hint of humor, “I’m not even going to tell you guys what I walk around at. Never mind.”