Julianna Pena is once more being favored to win as the underdog in her upcoming bout against Kayla Harrison at UFC 316 this Saturday.
This Saturday at UFC 316, Kayla Harrison is set to finally compete for a UFC championship belt, challenging the reigning women`s bantamweight champion, Julianna Pena.
Pena recently regained the bantamweight title (135 lbs) by securing a split decision victory over Raquel Pennington, following the unexpected retirement of Amanda Nunes after her win at UFC 289 against Irene Aldana.
Harrison, conversely, secured her opportunity for the title by achieving a dominant debut win against Holly Holm at UFC 300, and subsequently earning a decision win over Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307.
Valentina Shevchenko Supports Pena to Defeat Harrison at UFC 316
Due to her strong judo background and powerful ground-and-pound, Harrison is often considered one of the most formidable female fighters in the history of women`s MMA.
In her career debut using elbows, Harrison severely bloodied her opponent, highlighting an area where she will likely seek to overpower Pena.
Despite Harrison`s consistent display of dominance, Valentina Shevchenko, widely considered the greatest female fighter ever, has backed ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ to successfully defend her championship in Newark, New Jersey.
Valentina Shevchenko shared her perspective with ESPN MMA: “Comparing it to my fight against Manon Fiorot, she had accumulated 12 consecutive wins and perhaps expected a championship fight to be similar, but it`s distinctly different. You encounter new challenges. I sense a similar dynamic with this upcoming bout; Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison feels like the main event at UFC 316 to me.”
Shevchenko elaborated, “I believe this fight will be entirely unlike anything Kayla Harrison has experienced, and she will feel a significant difference. Julianna has this remarkable capacity to find a way to win and to shift a fight from an unfavorable position to a comfortable one. She doesn`t shy away from grappling.”
“She`s capable of securing a submission from anywhere… Taking her down is quite difficult. As someone who has faced Julianna before, I genuinely appreciate her style and hold her in high regard… I`ll be supporting Julianna… She will put in double the effort to secure the victory,” Shevchenko continued.
Pena Submitted by Shevchenko in 2017 Encounter
Early in her UFC tenure, shortly after earning her contract by winning The Ultimate Fighter, Pena was scheduled to face Valentina `Bullet` Shevchenko, who at the time appeared destined for a title shot.
This bout was Pena`s inaugural main event within the organization, where she was ultimately submitted in the second round via a punishing armbar applied by Shevchenko.
Should Pena emerge victorious against Harrison at UFC 316, she will undoubtedly feel confident about potentially luring Amanda Nunes out of retirement to finally resolve their significant historical rivalry.
Jack Thornley