Julianna Pena is once again considered the underdog ahead of her fight with Kayla Harrison at UFC 316 this Saturday, but victory is predicted for her. At the upcoming UFC 316 event, Kayla Harrison will finally get a chance to contend for the UFC title against the reigning women`s bantamweight champion, Julianna Pena.
Pena repossessed the 135-pound belt, securing a split decision win over Raquel Pennington following Amanda Nunes` surprising announcement of her career end after her triumph at UFC 289 against Irene Aldana. Kayla Harrison earned her title shot after a confident debut victory against Holly Holm at UFC 300, subsequently winning by decision over Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307.
Valentina Shevchenko Forecasts Pena Victory Over Harrison at UFC 316
Harrison is considered one of the most dominant athletes in women`s MMA history due to her judo background and powerful ground-and-pound. When Harrison first got to use elbows in her career, she left her opponent in a pool of blood, and this is an area she will likely try to dominate Pena in.
Despite Harrison`s consistent display of superiority, the widely recognized greatest female fighter of all time, Valentina Shevchenko, has backed `The Venezuelan Vixen` (Pena) to keep her title in Newark, New Jersey.
Here`s what Shevchenko told ESPN MMA:
“If you compare it to my previous fight against Manon (Fiorot), she had 12 wins without [a loss], and she thought a championship fight would be the same, but it`s not. You`ll face different difficulties, and I feel the same way [about this fight]; this is my main event at UFC 316, it`s Julianna Pena versus Kayla Harrison.
I feel the same way that it will be a completely different fight for Kayla Harrison, and she will feel completely different because Julianna possesses the ability to win and transition a fight from an uncomfortable position to a comfortable one; she is not afraid of grappling.
She can apply submissions from any position… It`s very hard to take her down. As a former opponent of Julianna, I definitely like her style and her a lot… I will be rooting for Julianna… Julianna will do everything twofold to win.”
Valentina Shevchenko Submitted Julianna Pena in 2017
Just a few fights into her UFC career, after winning The Ultimate Fighter and earning a contract, Pena was matched against `Bullet` Shevchenko, who appeared to be on a clear path to the title. This marked Pena`s first main event in the promotion, and she was defeated by submission in the second round after Shevchenko applied a brutal armbar.
With a victory over Harrison at UFC 316, Pena will undoubtedly gain the confidence to persuade Nunes to come out of retirement and finally settle their historic rivalry.
Gareth Pendleton