Kayla Harrison isn’t the principle occasion at UFC 307, however she undoubtedly took middle stage throughout a few heated exchanges in the course of the pre-fight press convention on Thursday.
It was nearly anticipated that the two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo would get drawn right into a disagreement with Julianna Pena after they’ve gone back-and-forth via interviews for the higher a part of the previous yr. Whereas Harrison is going through Ketlen Vieira on Saturday, and Pena goes for gold in opposition to Raquel Pennington, each fighters not often escape an interview with out being requested a few potential struggle between them.
Nonetheless, Harrison tried to keep up her declaration that it doesn’t matter who has the belt after UFC 307 as a result of she’s coming for them.
“Fill within the clean,” Harrison mentioned about her selection of opponents. “It doesn’t matter. It’s solely a matter of time. I’m the uncrowned queen. First Saturday night time, I smash Ketlen after which I come for my title. Get pleasure from it whilst you can girls.”
After all, Harrison admitted that she would gladly drive an elbow via Pena’s head without cost, which prompted a response from the previous UFC ladies’s bantamweight champion.
“I do know violence,” Pena mentioned. “Kayla simply acquired right here to the scene. So far as I’m involved, the final time she confronted a Brazilian, she got here working into the UFC.”
Whereas Pena needed to carry up Harrison’s solely profession loss in a call to Larissa Pacheco within the PFL, the 34-year-old bantamweight shortly reminded her counterpart that she’s been much more lively with so much much less time within the sport.
“I’ve extra finishes than Julianna has wins,” Harrison mentioned. “I don’t know what she’s speaking about. She higher decelerate.
“[I] simply acquired right here? I gained two Olympic gold medals. You began your profession in 2009 and also you’re 10-5. I began in 2018 and I’m 17-1.”
That quantity didn’t appear to impress Pena.
“It’s simple to be 17-1 once you’re combating freaking tomato cans,” Pena mentioned.
Maybe the extra awkward disagreement got here from Harrison’s interplay with Vieira, who comes into the struggle as one of many largest underdogs on the whole card.
Often smooth spoken, notably as a result of she’s usually speaking via a translator, Vieira acquired moderately animated on Thursday whereas taking private photographs and low blows at Harrison.
“Pay attention, it’s going to be actually onerous taking a look at your ugly face for me,” Vieira mentioned. “It’s going to be OK once you look within the mirror.”
The touch upon her look was clearly surprising however Harrison reminded Vieira “my mother thinks I’m fairly … my youngsters suppose I’m fairly, too,” earlier than capping that off by calling her opponent an “asshole.”
Vieira’s frustration in direction of Harrison stems from the eye the previous two-time PFL champion has obtained since signing with the UFC as a high-profile free agent. In her first look with the promotion, Harrison acquired a spot on the coveted UFC 300 card the place she dismantled former champion Holly Holm for a submission win inside two rounds.
Now Harrison is competing in a de facto No. 1 contenders bout whereas awaiting the possibility to face both Pennington or Pena subsequent.
That simply didn’t appear proper to Vieira, who has been grinding her manner via the ladies’s bantamweight division within the UFC for the previous eight years.
“I do know you’ve an incredible historical past in judo and I respect that however so that you can skip the road, I really feel that’s just a little an excessive amount of,” Vieira mentioned. “We work so onerous for this. Take into consideration myself, since 2018, first I beat Sara McMann and I believed I’ve a shot on the title. Then I am going on the market and beat Cat Zingano, the lady that truly beat Amanda Nunes, I believed I had a shot on the title. Then I beat two former champions and I believed I’m going to have a shot on the title.
“Swiftly you come out right here and also you skip the road. Truly I had a loss then and I had a loss to Raquel Pennington, any individual lively, the present champion, any individual I love so much and somebody I mirror myself and my recreation and the best way I behave myself [after]. As a result of I believe coming right here and really being a champion is extra than simply coming right here and saying a variety of bologna.”
For all of the speak about her skipping the road or getting one thing she doesn’t deserve, Harrison reminded all people on stage that she’s prepared for all challenges and invitations them to try to shut her up.
“That is the distinction between me and all of those women,” Harrison mentioned. “I come right here and so they complain ‘she skipped the road, she’s on steroids, it’s not honest, she shouldn’t do that, she shouldn’t try this.’ If this was my division, and I used to be the champion, I might say come the f*ck over and I’ll present you who’s champion.”
