
An MMA career defined not by hype but by expectation, not by “if” but “when,” finally reached its expected destination at UFC 316 on Saturday.
Kayla Harrison, the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist and two-time PFL lightweight champion, became a UFC champion with a submission win over bantamweight titleholder Julianna Peña.
After receiving her belt, Harrison invited her next opponent into the Octagon for a faceoff. Amanda Nunes, the retired two-belt UFC champ, was in attendance and confirmed she would come out of retirement to face Harrison.
Peña’s bid to keep her belt took a major hit in the first round — which already wasn’t going well — when she landed a pair illegal upkicks to Harrison’s head. Referee Vitor Ribeiro immediately stepped in and docked the champ a point, making an upset on the scorecards a major long shot.
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The second round went similarly badly for the champ, right up until Harrison got Peña in a Kimura and made her tap out quickly. It wasn’t a fair fight from the moment Harrison entered the Octagon looking like she was double-digit pounds heavier than her opponent, and it was lopsided to the point that Harrison would have been up three points at the end of the second round.
Despite some tension the week of the fight, Peña was gracious in expected defeat and shared prayers with Harrison before the win was made official.
Now awaits Nunes, the former UFC champ who was earmarked for a clash with Harrison for years while her prospective rival was in the PFL. The result will be arguably the most hyped matchup in women’s MMA history.
Get full UFC 316 results, highlights and play-by-play of the pay-per-view main card here.
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