Kayla Harrison may only have two fights on UFC Records, but when it comes to dealing with her enemies in tense moments at a press conference, she sounds like an old pro.
On Thursday, the two-time Olympic champions cried out with ruler UFC Bantamweight champion Julianna Peña. They didn’t talk much about John Annick, a proven man with UFC standing between them, but the fighters from the co-main event enjoyed verbal sparring in advance.
The most fiery exchange came after Harrison was asked about the possibility that he might face former teammate Amanda Nunes after UFC 316 was over. Nunes teased her return to action after retiring as a two-division champion in 2023.
Harrison replied, “After I took a picture of her ass, I’m here for Amanda.”
It won a retort from Pena. Pena was linked to takedowns and many stalls, with Harrison claiming the only way to victory.
“Kela, how are you going to beat me?” cried Pena. “As I asked last time, are you going to lie down on me and cook the clock for 25 minutes? Because it’s literally your chance to win. That’s the only chance to beat me.
Harrison attacked her on press conference line after releasing Pena’s records compared to his reporter.
“How do you beat me?” Harrison said. “You’ve been stopped three times. You’re 11-5. You’ve lost more fights than I lost a round in MMA.”
The crowd undoubtedly grew after being excavated by Harrison, but despite the bad blood between them, the showdown was not a physical altercation of any kind.
Instead, they save all that energy when the women’s 135 pound title goes up for the grab on Saturday night when Harrison and Pena met in the co-main event.