Tag: Kayla Harrison

Julianna Peña Downplays Harrison’s Performance Against Vieira: ‘She Didn’t Do Anything’

Julianna Peña Downplays Harrison’s Performance Against Vieira: ‘She Didn’t Do Anything’Julianna Pena was not impressed with Kayla Harrison’s sophomore appearance inside the Octagon. On Saturday, both Pena and Harrison…

Julianna Peña Downplays Harrison’s Performance Against Vieira: ‘She Didn’t Do Anything’

Julianna Pena was not impressed with Kayla Harrison’s sophomore appearance inside the Octagon.

On Saturday, both Pena and Harrison returned to MMA’s biggest stage as part of the promotion’s UFC 307 card in Salt Lake City. In the co-main event of the evening, ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ recaptured the bantamweight championship via a controversial split decision victory over Raquel Pennington.

Julianna Pena

Immediately following the fight, Pena called for a trilogy bout with former two-division queen Amanda Nunes despite ‘The Lioness’ retiring from the sport last year following a dominant win against Irene Aldana at UFC 289.

“When I saw Amanda retire that day, I was sitting cageside, and I was booing because I didn’t believe she was truly done,” Peña said at the post-UFC 307 press conference. “You hear Dana White saying that he thinks she retired too early, and then you watch her and I think she’s just twiddling her thumbs and saying, ‘What am I doing? I’m bored. Who am I if I’m not fighting in the UFC?’

“I truly do not believe she’s done. She retired too early. I think that she’s looking for something to do. That, to me, is the biggest fight in women’s mixed martial arts history because we’re 1-1,” Peña said. “My fight against her was so dominant, I made her tap. Our second time, I ran out of time. I lost a decision handily, fine. No problem. But it would be nice to put it to bed once and for all and get that trilogy fight that she ran away from” (h/t Middle Easy).

Julianna Pena was not impressed with the two-time Olympic gold medalist’s performance

In reality, Pena’s next opponent will likely be Harrison who claimed her second-straight win and 18th overall to kick off Saturday’s main card in The Crossroads of the West. The two-time Olympic gold medalist handily defeated No. 2 ranked contender Ketlen Vieira.

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That should put Harrison next in line, but Pena doesn’t seem too keen on giving the former PFL champion a shot at the gold.

“To be honest, I’ll tell you, I was warming up and focusing on my own fight,” Peña said when asked about Harrison’s performance. “But, with that being said, I had my coaches there watching the fight [and] kind of giving me the 4-1-1 on what was going down. We’re not impressed. She said she was gonna put an elbow through her skull, and she was gonna do all this damage. Like, the girl [Vieira] didn’t have a scratch on her. It was boring, and she didn’t do anything that jumped off the pages like, ‘Ooh, the boogeyman.’ You know what I mean? So I was definitely, especially hearing from my team, not impressed.

“If Amanda cowers away, again, and does not come back and fight me then yes. Kayla brings a lot of eyeballs and a lot of attention to the sport and I love that.”

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PFL Founder Touts Superior Women’s Division After UFC 307 Harrison, Peña Wins

UFC 307 was a big night for the women’s bantamweight division due to two match-ups that took place right at the top of the rankings. Julianna Peña was able to reclaim the 135-pound title by defeating Raquel Pennington via split decision in the co-main event. Earlier on in the night, Kayla Harrison cemented her status […]

Continue Reading PFL Founder Touts Superior Women’s Division After UFC 307 Harrison, Peña Wins at MMA News.

UFC 307 was a big night for the women’s bantamweight division due to two match-ups that took place right at the top of the rankings.

Julianna Peña was able to reclaim the 135-pound title by defeating Raquel Pennington via split decision in the co-main event.

Earlier on in the night, Kayla Harrison cemented her status as the next in line by defeating Ketlen Vieira via a unanimous decision.

Harrison’s return to the Octagon wasn’t without comment from her former home, the PFL, who received some criticism for posting about her loss to Larissa Pacheco on the same evening.

The use of Harrison’s time spent in the PFL didn’t stop being talking point there after the promotion’s founder commented once again on the day after UFC 307.

Donn Davis Says PFL’s Women’s Division Would ‘Crush’ The UFC’s, Lays Down A Challenge To Prove It

In a post on X, PFL founder Donn Davis made a statement that was followed by a challenge to the UFC regarding the strength of their female roster.

He took Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco, who are set to face off on October 19, and put them up against the champion and top contender in the UFC’s 135-pound division.

Davis makes it clear that he would back Cyborg and Pacheco over Peña and Harrison and even offers to put money on it.

Following Dana White’s harsh comments regarding the success of the PFL in his post-UFC 307 press conference, Davis wrote “#DanaScared” underneath the post.

“It is clear from UFC 306 that @PFLMMA female division would crush @UFC. I am so confident… winner take all. PFL: Cyborg + Pacheco. UFC: Harrison + Peña. $2m to each fighter… losing company pays $8m total fighter purses”

Read also: Kayla Harrison On Being Bloodied For The First Time At UFC 307: ‘That Threw Me…’

Continue Reading PFL Founder Touts Superior Women’s Division After UFC 307 Harrison, Peña Wins at MMA News.

After UFC 307 Win, Kayla Harrison Declares Plan to Bring Amanda Nunes Back, ‘Take Everything’ and Prove She’s the GOAT

After UFC 307 Win, Kayla Harrison Declares Plan to Bring Amanda Nunes Back, 'Take Everything' and Prove She’s the GOATAfter her impressive win at UFC 307, Kayla Harrison is looking to capture UFC gold and then bring Amanda…

After UFC 307 Win, Kayla Harrison Declares Plan to Bring Amanda Nunes Back, 'Take Everything' and Prove She’s the GOAT

After her impressive win at UFC 307, Kayla Harrison is looking to capture UFC gold and then bring Amanda Nunes out of retirement for one final showdown.

Kayla Harrison

Since making her UFC debut, Kayla Harrison has impressed international MMA fans by submitting former champion Holly Holm and then defeating the top-ranked Ketlen Vieira. At UFC 307, “The Venezuelan Vixen” Julianna Peña took back her UFC bantamweight crown. This will set up a future showdown between Harrison and Peña with UFC gold on the line. But afterward, the US-born Harrison wants Amanda Nunes.

After winning gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics for Judo with Team USA, she transitioned to mixed martial arts, Harrison made her professional debut in 2018. She was able to become a two-time PFL MMA world champion over consecutive years and now competes in the UFC.

Kayla Harrison
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – OCTOBER 05: (R-L) Kayla Harrison battles Ketlen Vieira of Brazil in a bantamweight fight during the UFC 307 event at Delta Center on October 05, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Amanda Nunes

Amanda Nunes is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist regarded as the greatest female fighter in the history of the sport. She began her professional MMA career in 2008 and quickly made a name for herself in the UFC. Nunes is notable for being the first woman to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously, having been the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion and the Featherweight Champion.

Amanda Nunes admits she almost retired after loss to Julianna Pena I think I'm done UFC
Mandatory Credit: Zuffa LLC

Throughout her career, she achieved numerous accolades, including victories over prominent fighters like Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, and Cris Cyborg. She announced her retirement from MMA in June 2023 after successfully defending her bantamweight title.

On a podcast ahead of UFC 307, Kayla Harrison explained the plan. She outlined:

“I’m about to get this belt [UFC women’s bantamweight championship]. I’m going to get another belt, lure Amanda [Nunes] out of retirement and I’m going to f*cking take everything that she’s ever worked for and then Henry [Cejudo] is going to owe me 100 anytime pushups. And he will no longer be the greatest combat of all time.” [Ht Sportskeeda]

‘Looked Beatable’ – Fans Split As Kayla Harrison Outworks Ketlen Vieira At UFC 307

Kayla Harrison faced some adversity thanks to Ketlen Vieira’s game but still managed to score a decision win at UFC 307, potentially setting herself up to face the winner of tonight’s Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña women’s bantamweight title fight. The fight’s opening round was fairly quiet, with Harrison looking to find an opening. The […]

Continue Reading ‘Looked Beatable’ – Fans Split As Kayla Harrison Outworks Ketlen Vieira At UFC 307 at MMA News.

Kayla Harrison faced some adversity thanks to Ketlen Vieira’s game but still managed to score a decision win at UFC 307, potentially setting herself up to face the winner of tonight’s Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña women’s bantamweight title fight.

The fight’s opening round was fairly quiet, with Harrison looking to find an opening. The two-time PFL champion managed to get Vieira pinned against the fence, but the Brazilian successfully defended against the takedown and was able to work herself off. The final minute, however, saw Harrison land a big takedown and get in top position, searching for a submission and landing a vicious elbow before the horn.

Harrison maintained her control of the fight’s pacing through the second round, but Vieira landed a damaging elbow late in the round that left a hematoma on the two-time Olympic gold medalist.

By the halfway mark of the third round, Harrison was able to bloody up Vieira and scored another takedown, doing work in the #2-ranked contender’s guard.

Kayla Harrison Faces Challenges But Still Gets Judges’ Nod Over Ketlen Vieira At UFC 307

Harrison signed with the UFC in January 2024 after starting her MMA career with the PFL, becoming a two-time PFL women’s lightweight champion in the process. The 34-year-old made her Octagon debut at UFC 300, finishing Holly Holm.

Vieira, meanwhile, had won three of her last four entering Saturday’s event in Salt Lake City, which included wins over former champions Holm and Miesha Tate. She had most recently fought in July 2023, defeating Pannie Kianzad by decision in England.

Continue Reading ‘Looked Beatable’ – Fans Split As Kayla Harrison Outworks Ketlen Vieira At UFC 307 at MMA News.