According to Ketlen Vieira, the UFC wants her to face Kayla Harrison at UFC 303.
Vieira (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who’s currently No. 2 in the UFC’s women’s bantamweight rankings, claims the promotion offered her Harrison for June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Brazilian says she accepted, but has yet to hear back from Harrison’s side.
“She might be the shiny new toy, but just like any toy, she needs to be played with and tested,” Vieira told MMA Mania on Harrison through an interpreter. “Even Julianna Peña – she hasn’t fought for two years. She isn’t deserving of the title shot. I was offered the (Harrison) fight for June 29. I said yes, and then they still didn’t give it to me. I’m not happy at all.”
Vieira is accusing Harrison (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) of ducking her. Harrison ran through Holly Holm in her promotional debut at UFC 300, and called for either a title shot or an interim title fight vs. Peña if champion Raquel Pennington isn’t healthy.
“It seems that Kayla is just not taking the fight,” Vieira said. “If the UFC offered the fight, the UFC wants the fight. It’s just Kayla not taking it. In the UFC, there’s only great athletes and if she thinks she’s going to say no to this fight and take an easier fight, there’s no easy fights. We’re all very good athletes. She has to stop running and take the fight and sign the contract.”
Vieira just wants to get closer to the title. Although Harrison is ranked below her, she’s aware of how big a win would be over the two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka.
“My name’s not Germaine (de Randamie) or Julianna Peña, so I don’t pick fights,” Vieira said. “At the same time, I know that I need to go up. I’m going to take any fight that’s going to get me to the belt because I know I deserve that belt. I want that belt. Kayla, even though she’s someone that’s starting (in UFC), it would be a big fight that would bring me the attention and get me to that belt.
“I’m looking to (fight) ranked fighters, increase my ranking, and I have been cleared for that date. I said yes to that fight, so I’m ready to fight around that date. But I want a fight that’s going to take me to the belt, which is what I deserve.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.
