In a thrilling matchup at UFC 316, women's bantamweight champion Julianna Peña faced off against number two ranked contender Kayla Harrison. This highly anticipated co-main event took place on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Julianna Peña, a two-time bantamweight champion, reclaimed her title in a controversial decision victory over Raquel Pennington last October. Peña first captured the 135-pound championship by defeating the legendary Amanda Nunes in December 2021, making her one of the most recognized fighters in the division.
Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, made her UFC debut at UFC 300, where she faced former champion Holly Holm. Harrison showcased her skills with a dominant performance against Holm and secured a victory over Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 to earn this title shot. With aspirations to add a UFC belt to her two PFL lightweight championships, Harrison entered the octagon with confidence on Saturday night.
The fight began with both competitors feeling each other out, using jabs to gauge distance. Harrison quickly took control of the center of the cage, inching forward and delivering an early kick to the body. Closing the distance, she engaged in a clinch before executing a takedown, landing in side control. From this position, Harrison attempted to posture up and struck Peña with a right hand. Peña, stuck on the bottom, responded with two illegal upkicks, prompting the referee to deduct a point for the fouls. The fight was restarted on the feet, and Peña managed to land a jab before the first round concluded, which MMAWeekly scored 10-8 in favor of Harrison.
As the second round commenced, Harrison opened with a leg kick and pressed her advantage forward, landing another body kick. Continuing her pressure, she initiated a clinch before landing knees to Peña's body. Harrison then dragged Peña down to the canvas, delivering punches aimed at her torso. Peña attempted to isolate an arm, but Harrison responded with an elbow strike, forcing Peña to roll onto her knees. Harrison quickly moved to take Peña's back, transitioning to half guard where she applied relentless pressure.
In a critical moment, Harrison went for an arm-triangle choke but decided against it, opting instead to isolate an arm and lock in a kimura. Despite her efforts, Peña was unable to escape and was forced to tap out, marking a decisive victory for Kayla Harrison. With this result, Harrison became the new UFC women's bantamweight champion.
The official time of the stoppage was recorded at 4:55 of the second round, capping off an impressive performance by Harrison and solidifying her place at the top of the bantamweight division.
