Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison may not be UFC 316’s pay-per-view (PPV) main event later this evening (Sat., June 7, 2025), but it surely has the most heat behind it. Sean O’Malley has eschewed talking trash ahead of his 135-pound title rematch versus Merab Dvalishvili, but neither Pena nor Harrison are pulling punches in the lead up to their five-round women’s Bantamweight title fight.
Every couple days, it feels like there’s a new quote from Pena accusing Harrison of taking steroids. Harrison hasn’t gotten particularly personal in response, but she’s made clear her intentions of paying back Pena inside the Octagon.
How did these two athletes end up down in the mud? Surprisingly, the beef dates all the way back to December 2021, well before Kayla Harrison was a member of the UFC roster, and it involves another “interested party” in this weekend’s co-main event title clash.
Let’s break it down:
Early Tensions
The animosity began in Dec. 2021 when Pena upset Amanda Nunes in one of the biggest upsets of all time at UFC 269 (re-live that here). Harrison was a long-time training partner of “The Lioness,” and she was cageside to witness her teammate’s defeat. In the aftermath, Pena referred to Harrison as “the lesser of the training partners” at American Top Team (ATT). Harrison, who was a high-profile free agent at the time, responded with a warning.
The Olympic gold medalist responded, “You should be careful, because I don’t play those games.”
Steroids Vs. Ducking?
Nunes regained her title less than a year after the upset loss. She defended it one final time, and Pena spent all her spare time chirping at “Lioness,” who opted to retire rather than deal with possible “The Venezuelan Vixen” trilogy. Harrison, meanwhile, joined the UFC roster and smashed Holly Holm in her debut to announce herself as a title threat.
With Nunes retired, the divisional belt was vacant. Many thought Pena or Harrison would fight for that title, but instead Raquel Pennington defeated Mayra Bueno Silva to capture gold. Already, Harrison was calling out Pena for a chance to settle their 2021 beef, which had only heated further after Pena accused Harrison of using steroids for the first of many times, a claim which Harrison admits pissed her off. More than once, Harrison has responded that the steroid claims are just a way for her to avoid the match up.
If that was the goal, it worked for a time.
Many fans argued for Harrison to get the next shot, but Pena successfully waited her way to another title shot. It paid off … just barely. Pena scraped past Pennington at UFC 307, the same night Harrison defeated Ketlen Vieira to lock up her own opportunity at UFC gold. With both women victorious that evening, UFC 307 was the night that their fight futures became destined to cross.
Pena couldn’t admit it yet though. As Harrison predicted, she called out the retired Amanda Nunes instead.
Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC
Fight Booked, Blood Boils
Nunes is, of course, going to comeback and face the winner of Pena vs. Harrison. “The Venezuelan Vixen” could still get her trilogy fight, and Harrison could get the high-profile shot at an ex-teammate/GOAT. There’s at least one big money fight on the line for the victor, and those are hard to come by in a fairly empty division.
For better or worse, the feud has only gotten uglier as the fight draws closer. Pena is making steroid accusations by the hour, and Harrison is tired of the crap trash talk. There’s nothing left to do but fight, although a bit of shoving at the final weigh-in should be expected.
With their championship bout just hours away, the animosity is palpable. Harrison is a massive favorite, but Pena has thrived in the underdog role more than once. The outcome of UFC 316 will not only determine the women’s Bantamweight champion, but it will also settle one of the most heated rivalries in recent women’s MMA history.
… unless the loser wants a rematch, of course.
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CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLE-DIP! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) continues its 2025 pay-per-view (PPV) schedule on Sat., June 7, 2025, with a championship doubleheader headlining UFC 316 from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. In UFC 316’s PPV main event, Bantamweight roost-ruler, Merab Dvalishvili, defends his title against former division champion, Sean O’Malley, in a highly-anticipated five-round rematch. UFC 316’s PPV co-main event features women’s Bantamweight titleholder, Julianna Pena, facing off against two-time Olympic gold medalist, Kayla Harrison, in a thrilling five-round clash. UFC 316 will also showcase a 135-pound showdown between Patchy Mix vs. Mario Bautista, as well as a Welterweight bout pitting Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland and much more! UFC 316’s start time is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET (“Early Prelims”), 8 p.m. ET (“Prelims” undercard) and 10 p.m. ET (PPV main card).
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Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 316 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
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