Kayla Harrison, the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist turned MMA beast, is gearing up for her biggest UFC test yet. She’s set to take on Julianna Pena for the women’s bantamweight title at UFC 316 on June 7, 2025. Harrison spilled the raw truth to Ariel Helwani in an interview aired April 7, 2025, about the hell of cutting to 135 pounds for the first time and her mixed take on her opponent. It’s a fight that’s pushing her body and mind to the edge.
“It’s torture,” Harrison told Helwani about dropping weight.
“But everything I’ve wanted is on the other side of that torture. I feel like I become refined in the fire. It’s a very lonely process. It’s a much harder mental grind than I expected. First, it was this fear of, ‘Oh my gosh, can I do this?’ And now, it’s this fear of, ‘Oh my gosh, I know what I have to do in order to do this.’ It’s definitely not healthy. Don’t do this, kids. I do not recommend. My team is dialed in. It’s not easy but I believe in the end it will be worth it.”
Harrison ruled at 155 pounds in the PFL, racking up a 18-1 record with her judo throws and power, but this bantamweight cut is a whole new beast.
Respect, Rivalry, and a Title Shot
Harrison’s got a tricky relationship with Pena, who shocked the world by beating Amanda Nunes in 2021 to win the title.
“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 wanna have admiration for her. 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.”
That mix of grudging respect and sharp jabs sets the stage for a fiery showdown.
Harrison’s no stranger to big moments. She won judo gold at the Olympics in 2012 and 2016, then crushed it in the PFL before signing with the UFC. Her debut at UFC 300 in April 2024 saw her smash Holly Holm in the second round, proving she’s a force at 135 pounds despite the tough cut.
Pena, meanwhile, has been a rollercoaster. She shocked the world by submitting Amanda Nunes in 2021 to win the title, lost it back to Nunes in 2022, and sat out over two years before her 2024 comeback win over Pennington. Now 35, Pena’s ready to defend her belt against Harrison’s power.
Pena’s known for her grit and sharp tongue, ready to defend her turf against Harrison’s judo-fueled attack. This fight could shake up the bantamweight division, and Harrison’s determined to prove the pain’s worth it. UFC 316 is her shot to turn torture into triumph and grab the gold she’s been chasing since swapping the mat for MMA.
