Newly-minted undisputed bantamweight champion, Julianna Pena has once more played down a title grudge fight with Kayla Harrison, mocking her performance against perennial contender, Ketlen Vieira, as she hunts a trilogy clash with Amanda Nunes instead.
Pena, who co-headlined UFC 307 earlier this month, managed to win the undisputed bantamweight crown for the second time during her Octagon tenure — scoring a close, split decision win over Raquel Pennington in another grudge clash for the Washington native.
As for Harrison, the former two-time PFL (Professional Fighters League) lightweight tournament winner and two-time Olympic gold medalist, made her sophomore outing in the Octagon on the main card of that event, landing a hard-fought unanimous judging win of her own over the aforenoted, Vieira.
Julianna Pena scoffs at title fight with Kayla Harrison after UFC 307
And hoping to position herself into a title fight with Pena, Ohio grappling talent, Harrison admitted she was less than pleased with her performance against Vieira – with the newly-crowned titleholder admitting she prefers a title trilogy with Nunes over Harrison next.
“The girl (Kayla Harrison) wants to take time off because she even knows that she can’t make the weight and that she’s not a rightful 135er,” Julianna Pena told MMA Today on SiriusXM. “She’s too big. She obviously can’t even make the first fight, which is making it to the Octagon. She needs time off. That. to me, is already a loss.”
"Kayla Harrison just came to the party. Amanda Nunes is the big fight, the money fight, the fight that people want to see."@VenezuelanVixen SOUNDED OFF on Kayla Harrison, Amanda Nunes & everyone who criticized her #UFC307 callout
MMA Today w/@RyanMcKinnell & @AndreasHale pic.twitter.com/L7gLMJxh6F
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) October 11, 2024
“Secondly, there was nothing that I saw in her fight against Ketlen Vieira that was, ‘Oh, some world beater. Oh my gosh, I’m terrified. Kayla Harrison.’ Give me a break,” Julianna Pena explained. She went out [Salt Lake City] there three weeks early and still gassed out. Kayla Harrison, get in line. I’ve got unfinished business to attend to. Harrison just came to the party. Amanda Nunes is the big fight, the money fight, the fight that people want to see.”