Kayla Harrison has mixed feelings about her next opponent, the UFC rooster weight champion Julianna Peña.
The UFC 316 will be a 135 pound showcase with the titles of each online division on June 7 in Newark, New Jersey. Before Sean O'malley seeks to recover his crown against his successor Merab Dvalishvili In the headliner, Harrison will try to dethrone Peña in the co-principal event. So far, the couple has had brief interactions, going back to the UFC 307 in October 2024, when the two women won large victories. Their verbal fight during the animated press conference before the fight of this event was just an overview of what will happen.
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Harrison spoke Monday on “The Ariel Helwani Show” by Non Couronne “ About his feelings towards Peña, and explained why it is difficult for the double Olympic gold medalist to love the champion.
“We will see (how difficult it is),” said Harrison. “There is always a bit of unknown when you fight a new opponent. I don't think skills are the top of the top, but I think that in terms of heart and experience, she has a good experience, and she has definitely confident. I might say.
“I want to have a lot of respect for Julianna because she is a single mother, a veteran of sport, she scratched herself and scribbled her way up, she believed in her when nobody believed in her. I really want to have admiration for her, and I think I do it. Very cringing her.
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The Harrison Big UFC reigning combat announcement calendar arrived just when Harrison was starting to become angry for his third fight in the octagon. Ideally, the double PFL Lightweight champion hoped to obtain the fight this Saturday at the UFC 314 in Miami. Rather, she will go to Newark in June, with the intention of creating her possible case more as the greater fighter of all time.
Harrison, 34, took advantage of his career opportunities through the Olympic Games and the PFL before entering the UFC with a match against former Holly Holm champion. Harrison's move to the UFC seemed that it could have happened earlier, if his former teammate and great former champion of all time Amanda Nunes did not lose a meeting in 2021 with Peña.
Although Nunes is now out of the photo after retiring in June 2023, Harrison still hopes for herself because the champion can attract “lionness”.
“The belt is the price,” said Harrison. “Win the belt, defend the belt. I hope God wants it, Amanda come back. Fight Amanda, Coelue on it, give it an automatic revenge match very quickly just to make sure that everyone understands that it was not a stroke of luck, and then I think it will be very difficult to challenge myself to be the biggest of all time.
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“I definitely have a match plan. The problem is that I have to rely on other people for this match plan. So I also have to be ok if it never happens.”
The friendship between Harrison and Nunes has stretched as Harrison's success in MMA has increased and it began to descend from its original 155 pound category. In the end, Nunes left his longtime gymnasium, American Top Team, before ending his career. Despite the competitive nature of the situation, Harrison hopes that his old friend does not believe that things have become acids of a personal aspect.
“It's my dream of fighting Amanda,” said Harrison. “It is not an disrespectful thing. She is the greatest of all time. I have a lot of admiration and respect for her.
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“I think that is what was so difficult about his departure from the gymnasium or the way I never wanted him in an disrespectful way. For me, the greatest honor I can give you is to say:” Hey, you are the best, and you have what I want. Let's share the cage and bring out others. For me, it's all about honor and respect.
Harrison said she hadn't promised anything specific to the UFC concerning an attempt to bring nunes if she won the title. The best she can hope is that nunes will appear for the UFC 316, which Harrison would interpret as a potential sign of interest for a possible return for the former legendary champion.
First of all, however, it all starts with a victory over Peña. Harrison will enter this fight without lack of confidence, she said, even if she pointed out that she did not ignore the forces of Peña, as they are.
“I think I'm just going to dominate,” said Harrison. “Go there and assume my will. I think she's going to try to put pressure on it, and like maybe-she's crazy, I'm going to give her. She has a heart and she's crazy. She will continue to advance. And I think I'm going to fight an intelligent fight and he who makes her ass.”
