Kayla Harrison reached a significant milestone in her combat sports career by capturing the UFC women`s bantamweight championship at UFC 316.
UFC 316 took place in Newark, New Jersey, featuring a double header of title fights. The main event saw Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley compete for the bantamweight title.
In the co-main event, Julianna Pena defended her women’s bantamweight title against Kayla Harrison. Harrison`s successful weight cut to 135lbs, a first for her career, had drawn attention from fans.
Leading up to their bout, Pena and Harrison were involved in a long-standing and often bitter rivalry, with Pena repeatedly accusing the Olympic judo gold medalist of using steroids.
Harrison Dominates Julianna Pena to Claim UFC Gold
After months of animosity, the UFC 316 co-main event between these two dominant fighters was highly anticipated.
From the start, Harrison demonstrated her ability to handle the pressure of the big stage, immediately pressuring ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’.
Midway through the first round, Harrison secured a takedown, controlled Pena on the ground, advanced her position, and landed heavy ground-and-pound.
An unfortunate moment occurred for Pena when she landed three consecutive illegal upkicks to the head of a grounded Harrison, resulting in an immediate point deduction.
Facing a deficit, Pena knew she needed a strong performance in round two, but the situation worsened for her.
Towards the end of the second round, Harrison secured another takedown and swiftly locked in a kimura submission, forcing Pena to tap out and ending the fight.
Amanda Nunes Enters the Cage and Confirms Comeback
The stakes for the women`s bantamweight title fight had been raised prior to the event when former two-division champion Amanda Nunes announced her intention to come out of retirement and face the winner.
Immediately after being crowned the new champion, Harrison was met with her likely next opponent. `The Lioness` quickly entered the octagon from her seat in the front row.
Addressing Nunes, Harrison called her into the cage, stating, “I see you, Amanda. Come on up… This is the next fight!”
Nunes responded positively, confirming her return and readiness, “Let’s do it! Yes, we knew this was going to happen… Now we’re gonna do it.” The two fighters then faced off for the first time.
With Nunes` comeback now official, Harrison is expected to take some time to recover, particularly from her challenging weight cut, before the highly anticipated showdown against arguably the greatest female fighter of all time.
Gareth Pendleton