Newark, NJ — Kayla Harrison ascended to the top of the women’s bantamweight mountain at UFC 316, a development that felt very much like destiny for longtime observers of the Olympic gold medalist.
Once the face of the PFL, a title shot in the UFC felt like a matter of time once Harrison jumped ship just over a year ago. That shot arrived on Saturday, and Harrison submitted reigning champ Julianna Pena with a kimura towards the end of the second round.
The feeling, Harrison (19-1) told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight, was “surreal,” leaving her “eternally grateful.” And while holding the title means she’s the best in the world, “this belt represents so much more than that,” Harrison explained.
“The journey to get here and the woman that I’ve become, from being six years old on my Mimi’s couch watching the 96 Olympic games to being here, I’ve been through some sh*t, and I feel like my spirit is unbreakable and my faith in unshakable. And who I am as a person is someone that I’m proud of. So yes this belt is amazing but the journey to get here is really what matters most to me.”
Following her victory, and having conquered a second major promotion (in a second weight class, given her PFL titles came at lightweight), Harrison called for a face-off with Amanda Nunes, and got just that. Nunes, who retired following UFC 289 in Vancouver in 2023, is widely considered the best female fighter ever. Now, “The Lioness” is set to come out of retirement to face Harrison, though whether that will come at 135 or 145lbs is something to consider.
Harrison’s manager even floated the idea of two fights, one in each weight class. “I have no idea, but I’m open to— I just want to fight. I just want to fight,” Harrison said of the possibility. “I definitely want to fight Amanda. She’s the greatest of all time, I want to be the greatest of all time. I’ve wanted that for a long time now. It’s not personal, there’s no bad blood. I don’t care what weight we fight at.”
“I walk around at one hundred and— I’m not even going to tell you guys what I walk around at,” Harrison added, cutting herself off with a laugh. “Never mind.”
As far as a timeframe, Harrison just wants the best Nunes possible. “I’m going to give Amanda as much time as she needs to prepare. I want her to be the best her, I’m going to be the best me. We’re going to go in there and make some absolute magic in the women’s division. We’re gonna break some records and make some history and we’re both gonna make a lot of money doing it. We’re going to bring women’s MMA to a whole new level.”
Watch Kayla Harrison’s UFC 316 post-fight press conference appearance above.
