Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison are just hours away from locking horns with one another at UFC 316 but managed to get in the last few verbal volleys before that cage door shuts behind them. Before the two will do battle for Pena’s 135 pound title, the two went back and forth on the microphone at the final pre-fight press conference before the pugilistic proceedings kick off Saturday night in Newark. Julianna Peña came across as defiant and unbothered by Harrison’s presence, as the reigning bantamweight champion declared:
“I’m not going to let this girl talk all over me and try to think that she’s going to get into my head. It’s not going to happen.”
To that, Kayla Harrison, who is aiming to cement her legacy further here with multiple PFL titles and multiple Olympic gold medals to her credit, responded to the sitting champion as Harrison retorted:
“It would be an honor and a privilege to be the face of women’s MMA. I don’t take it lightly. I consider it a huge responsibility, and Saturday night I’m going to go out there and leave it all in the cage so that I can be a new UFC champion of the world.”
Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison’s War of Words
‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ Julianna Peña would then fire back at the surging bantamweight contender with a biting comeback that got the canines involved when Peña said:
“She definitely hasn’t gotten under my skin. I got thick skin—it takes a little more than a Chihuahua barking to get under my skin. But even your Chihuahua doesn’t like you, Kayla. Even your own dang dog doesn’t even like you. The time for talking is almost over, and Saturday night we’re going to find out who’s the face of women’s MMA—and you’re looking at her!”
Julianna Peña did not stop there as the two time titleholder at 135 pounds would then challenge Kayla Harrison’s fighting style as Peña quipped,
“How are you going to beat me, Kayla? Are you going to lay on top of me and cook the clock for 25 minutes? Because that is literally your only chance to victory. That’s your only chance to beat me, is lay on top of me for 25 minutes!”
