NEWARK, N.J. – First, an Olympic gold medalist. Then, a PFL champion. Now, a UFC champion.
Kayla Harrison has a new trophy for the case. In the UFC 316 co-main event Saturday at Prudential Center, Harrison (19-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) earned gold in emphatic fashion as she submitted Julianna Peña with a kimura at 4:55 of Round 2.
The first round was all Harrison, as she dragged Peña (13-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) to the canvas with relative ease. Though the moment proved not to matter in the end, referee Vitor Ribeiro deducted a point from Peña for multiple illegal upkicks to the grounded Harrison.
Early in Round 2, Harrison dragged the fight back to the canvas, where she grabbed hold of Peña’s arm and torqued until the submission came.
After the fight, Harrison called former teammate and UFC champion Amanda Nunes into the cage. The two squared off in a faceoff, of what will be one of the biggest women’s fights in mixed martial arts history.
Nunes has not competed since June 2023 when she defeated Irene Aldana and retired inside the cage. After nearly two years of spending more time as a mother, Nunes indicated her return to the cage was coming – and made it official at a fan Q&A on Friday.
With the victory, Harrison keeps her perfect UFC record alive. Her lone career loss came to Larissa Pacheco in PFL in 2022. Peña loses the title and her second reign comes to an end. She was not able to pocket a title defense in her first stint, either.
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