Ailin Perez is making bold predictions ahead of the UFC 316 women’s bantamweight title fight. The rising contender shared her thoughts on the upcoming clash between champion Julianna Peña and challenger Kayla Harrison, set for June 7, 2025, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Perez believes Harrison will walk away with the belt in the co-main event of the big card.
Perez, who’s been climbing the ranks with five straight wins, spoke to Hablemos MMA in Spanish about the fight, via MMA Junkie. She’s confident in Harrison’s abilities, even though she sees some challenges for the challenger.
“Kayla Harrison is going in there determined,” Perez said. “I don’t think she’ll be able to finish Julianna because Peña is a dog, but with zero technique. Nora Cornolle is the same. They just look to hit hard and are good at taking shots. Kayla is dominant and can bring the fight to the ground. It is a five-round fight and Kayla struggles to make weight, and she hasn’t fought five rounds, at least in UFC, so that could test her and bring up a few things. But all in all, I go with the dominant Kayla Harrison.”
Perez Says UFC Wants Active Champions
Perez also shared her thoughts on why this fight is happening. She thinks the UFC is pushing for active title defenses, something she believes Peña has been avoiding.
“Of course it doesn’t surprise me because that’s what the UFC wanted,” Perez said. “The UFC wants there to be activity and for the belt to be defended. The whole thing of, ‘Oh, I got injured, I don’t want to fight, I want more money,’ no, girl. You want to fight, or you want to pretend you like to fight? Many of us want to be champion, so the title always needs to be scheduled for a defense. So no, I’m not surprised that fight was booked. And I also won’t be surprised when Kayla Harrison beats Julianna Peña. No one believes in Julianna Peña.”
Peña, 35, is defending her title for the first time since winning it back at UFC 307 in October 2024 against Raquel Pennington. She’s known for her toughness and a huge upset win over Amanda Nunes in 2021, but she’s a big underdog in this fight.
Harrison, 34, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and former PFL champion who’s 2-0 in the UFC with wins over Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira. The matchup has already sparked heated moments, with the two fighters facing off intensely at a press conference in April 2025. Fans are eager to see if Perez’s prediction comes true when Peña and Harrison step into the octagon.
