On the UFC 307 press convention, the top-ranked athletes Kayla Harrison and Julianna Pena had a heated alternate, with Harrison making it clear she plans to dominate the bantamweight division. Though Harrison is ready to face Ketlen Vieira, of Brazil, and Pena will battle Raquel Pennington for the title, their back-and-forth implied at a possible rivalry sooner or later.
Kayla Harrison
Kayla Harrison is a two-time Olympic judo medalist and consecutive PFL light-weight titleholder, acknowledged that she’s on an unstoppable path to the UFC bantamweight title, regardless of who at the moment holds it. She downplayed Pena’s UFC expertise by highlighting her personal 17-1 document in comparison with Pena’s 10-5. Pena shot again, criticizing the standard of Harrison’s previous opponents.
Harrison responded:
“I’ve extra finishes than Julianna has wins. I don’t know what she’s speaking about. She higher decelerate … 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 when you can girls … [I] simply received 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.”
Julianna Pena
The Venezuelan Vixen’ Julianna Pena is greatest recognized for her gorgeous submission win over Amanda Nunes in December 2021, which earned her the bantamweight title, which she would later lose to the ‘Lioness.’ She is now set to battle Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 for the bantamweight title, marking her return to the octagon after greater than two years.
Pena stated:
“I do know violence. Kayla Harrison simply received 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 … It’s straightforward to be 17-1 whenever you’re combating freaking tomato cans.”
Ketlen Vieira
Vieira who is definitely combating Harrison at UFC 307, additionally voiced frustration about Harrison’s fast rise within the UFC, feeling it was an unfair “line skip.” Harrison, nevertheless, welcomed all challengers, displaying confidence and a readiness to face anybody within the division.
All through her UFC profession, Vieira, who holds a blackbelt in each Jiu Jitsu and Judo, has confronted a number of high-profile opponents, together with a big victory over former champion Miesha Tate in November 2021. Nevertheless, she additionally confronted setbacks, together with losses to Irene Aldana and Raquel Pennington.
UFC 307
The Brazilian athlete stated:
“Hear, it’s going to be actually laborious taking a look at your ugly face for me. It’s going to be OK whenever you look within the mirror … “
Abruptly 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, anyone energetic, the present champion, anyone I like lots and somebody I mirror myself and my recreation and the best way I behave myself [after]. As a result of I feel coming right here and really being a champion is extra than simply coming right here and saying a whole lot of bologna.”
Kayla Harrison concluded with:
“That is the distinction between me and all of those ladies. I come right here they usually complain ‘she skipped the road, she’s on steroids, it’s not truthful, she shouldn’t do that, she shouldn’t try this.’ If this was my division, and I used to be the champion, I’d say come the f*ck over and I’ll present you who’s champion.” [HT MMAFighting]
