Kayla Harrison gets title shot vs. Julianna Pena at UFC 316

Kayla Harrison is finally getting her chance to compete for UFC gold.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist in judo and former PFL champion is set to challenge UFC women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Pena for the title later this year at UFC 316.

UFC president Dana White made the announcement Tuesday evening during an Instagram live broadcast.

The event is scheduled to take place June 7 at the Prudential Center in New Jersey and will be headlined by a men’s bantamweight title fight between rivals Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley. Pena vs. Harrison will serve as the co-main event. Both bouts are set for five rounds.

Pena is a two-time champion who is coming off a controversial split decision title win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 this past October to begin her second reign as 135-pound champ.

The 35-year-old initially became champion when she upset Amanda Nunes by submission at UFC 269 in 2021. Pena lost the title to Nunes at UFC 277 in the immediate rematch the following year then Nunes later vacated the belt when she announced her retirement in June of 2023. 

Harrison is 2-0 since debuting in the UFC one year ago, posting a submission win over former champion Holly Holm and a dominant decision victory over Ketlen Viera in her most recent outing at UFC 307.

The 34-year-old star is 18-1 in professional mixed martial arts since taking up the sport with her lone loss coming to Larissa Pacheco over whom she holds two prior wins. 

Harrison won her Olympic judo medals in the 172-pound category and previously competed primarily in the lightweight division at 155 pounds in the PFL but decided to make the drastic weight cut and lifestyle change in order to live out her UFC dreams and earn a title in the world’s top MMA promotion.

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