Kayla Harrison, though not headlining UFC 307, dominated the pre-fight press conference with heated exchanges against Julianna Pena and Ketlen Vieira, asserting her determination to claim the championship despite criticisms of skipping the line in the bantamweight division.
Kayla Harrison might not headline UFC 307, but she sure stole the spotlight at Thursday’s pre-fight presser. The atmosphere was electric as tensions flared.
Predictably, the Olympic judo champ found herself in a verbal tussle with Julianna Pena. Their back-and-forth has been brewing for over a year. Though Harrison faces Ketlen Vieira on Saturday and Pena aims for gold against Raquel Pennington, interviewers can’t resist probing about a potential showdown between them.
Yet, Harrison stood firm on her claim: the belt’s current holder is irrelevant. She’s gunning for them all post-UFC 307.
“Fill in the blank,” she quipped about her next opponent. “Doesn’t matter. Just a matter of time. I’m the uncrowned queen. First, I smash Ketlen, then I go for my title. Enjoy it while you can, ladies.”
Harrison didn’t mince words about her willingness to elbow Pena for free, sparking a fiery retort from the former bantamweight champ.
“I know violence,” Pena declared. “Kayla just arrived on this scene. Last Brazilian she faced? She ran into the UFC.”
Pena tried to highlight Harrison’s sole career loss to Larissa Pacheco in the PFL. Yet, Harrison quickly pointed out her own active career despite less time in the sport.
“I’ve got more finishes than Julianna has wins,” Harrison countered. “Not sure what she’s on about. She better slow down.”
“[I] just got here? Two Olympic golds under my belt. You started in ’09 and you’re 10-5. I began in 2018 and I’m 17-1.”
Pena wasn’t impressed by that stat.
“Easier to be 17-1 when you’re fighting tomato cans,” she shot back.
The tension escalated when Harrison clashed with Vieira, one of the card’s biggest underdogs.
Though usually reserved, especially through a translator, Vieira took personal jabs at Harrison on Thursday.
“Gonna be tough looking at your ugly face,” Vieira jabbed. “But you’ll manage when you see yourself in the mirror.”
Caught off guard by the comment, Harrison retorted, “My mom thinks I’m pretty… my kids do too,” before calling Vieira an “asshole.”
Vieira’s frustration stems from the attention Harrison garnered after joining UFC as a high-profile free agent. Her debut on UFC 300 saw her dismantle Holly Holm with ease.
Now, Harrison’s eyeing a No. 1 contender spot while waiting to face either Pennington or Pena next.
Vieira felt slighted by this fast-track treatment after years of hard work in the bantamweight division.
“Respect your judo history but skipping the line feels excessive,” Vieira argued. “We grind hard for this shot. Since beating Sara McMann in 2018, I’ve been chasing that title shot.”
“Then I beat Cat Zingano—who beat Amanda Nunes—and thought it was my turn. Beat two former champs too! Suddenly you skip ahead.”
Despite accusations of line-skipping, Harrison invited all challengers to try silencing her.
“This is what sets me apart,” she asserted. “They whine about fairness and steroids. If it were my division and I was champ, I’d say bring it on and prove who’s boss.”