Kayla Harrison made history once again at UFC 316, held at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 7, 2025. In the joint main event, two Olympic judo gold medalists faced off against Giuliana Pena for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship. Kayla Harrison showed off her elite grappling skills and won the title by submitting Pena with Kimura in the second round, cementing her position as one of the most dominant crossover athletes in combat sports.
Kayla Harrison
But before she wrapped UFC gold around her waist, Harrison was already a legend on the Olympics stage. In 2012 and 2016, she became the first American woman to win Olympic Gold in judo. The first American woman to do this feat, pioneer. After retiring from judo, Harrison moved to MMA, where she quickly made her mark. She became a two-time PFL lightweight champion before making the much-anticipated move to the UFC.
Olympic medalist and UFC World Champion
Now, in both Olympic Gold and UFC titles, Harrison finds himself following the inevitable questions. Her answers at the postwar UFC 316 press conference are as memorable as her performance.
“It’s like choosing a child I like. I don’t have one. One of them is more on my nerves than the other, but I love both. I can’t answer that. They’re both special.”
“I feel amazing. A lot has happened in a very short time. This belt represents more than that. The journey to come here, I am the woman I am. I am watching the Olympics from 6 to 96 on my Mimi couch. myself.”
Whether it’s the pressure of Olympic competition or the relentless crushing of the UFC, Kayla Harrison has proven she can handle both. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time PFL world champion and is currently the UFC world champion.