Kayla Harrison appreciates UFC bantamweight champion Julianna Pena’s journey – even if she struggles to sometimes.
Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) challenges Peña (11-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in the UFC 316 co-main event June 7 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka and two-time PFL champion Harrison has opened up as a massive favorite over Peña, but does she see “The Venezuelan Vixen” as her toughest test to date?
“We’ll see, we’ll find out. I mean, there’s always that little bit of unknown when you fight a new opponent,” Harrison said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “So, skill-wise, I don’t think she’s the top of the top, but I think in terms of heart and maybe experience, she’s got some good experience, and she’s definitely got confidence. I would argue cockiness, maybe.”
Peña’s confidence comes from being a two-time UFC bantamweight champion, with one of her title wins coming in a big underdog finish over former dual-champ Amanda Nunes. Harrison admires Peña for becoming the first mom-champ in the UFC, but admits she has mixed feelings about her.
“I want to have a lot of respect for Julianna because she’s a single mom, she’s a veteran of the sport, she scratched and clawed her way to the top, she believed in herself when nobody believed in her,” Harrison said. “I really want to have admiration for her, and I think probably deep down, I do.
“And I love that she’s confident and she says what she thinks, but she’s just pretty dumb sometimes. So, it’s hard. It’s difficult. Just some of the stuff, cheesy, very cringe. She reminds me a lot of Henry (Cejudo). Trying too hard.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 316.
