Julianna Pena believes she can beat Kayla Harrison with a healthy fight camp
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Pena (11-6) dropped her title to current champion Kayla Harrison earlier this year. Despite the loss, the 36-year-old “Venezuelan Vixen” believes the outcome would be different in a rematch, provided she went into the fight injury free.
It appears as if former champion Amanda Nunes will come out of retirement and challenge Harrison for the title, possibly on next year’s UFC White House fight card.
When asked who she might want to face between the two, Pena does what she does best, stir the pot.
“I think a trilogy with Amanda would be the best-case scenario just because we have shared so much time inside the octagon, but then I’d also love to fight Kayla again because I know that I can beat her,” Pena said during an appearance on the Ariel Helwani Show. “I think if I could get into a fight champ healthy with having all of these injuries healed, I can beat her. I know I can.”
Pena defeated Nunes for the title in 2021, winning by second-round submission. Nunes then dominated Pena in the rematch, taking back the following year.
Nunes would then go on to defend her title one time before retiring, leaving the belt vacant for Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva to decide.
Pennington picked up the championship with a decision victory but then dropped the title to Pena in her first defense.
Pena was unable to successfully defend against Harrison, ultimately setting up the superfight between Harrison and Nunes.
