Julianna Pena appreciates Kela Harrison’s attempts to joke around and back before the highly anticipated Bantamweight title tilt.
Emanating from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Pena will face Harrison with the 135-pound crown at the UFC 316 Co-Main event on Saturday night.
Long before Harrison and Pena were scheduled to dispose of at the MMA’s biggest stage, “Venezuela Vixen” had said a lot about the gold medalists at the two Olympics. Although unfounded, Pena produced a significant amount of hype due to the garden crash.
And although Harrison was a fighter who often preferred to talk in a cage, she often returned to Pena.
During UFC 316 Media Day on Wednesday, Pena thanked Harrison for his willingness to return fire after a series of fights between Amanda Nunes and Raquel Pennington, which was less quiet.
“The UFC is doing a really good job of creating the best fights possible and ensuring that fans get what they want,” Pena said. “This was the battle the fans wanted and the biggest battle in the division. She only fought twice in the UFC, but she was a two-time champion and was able to get a title shot based on the admiration she has.
“It’s good to have someone who can string sentences, speak language and be willing to joke with you back and forth. It’s refreshing. Even when she was in the PFL, people are asking Kela to fight for the title right away.
Juliana Pena claims that her negative comments about Kayla Harrison are nothing more than self-defense
Pena has emerged as one of the top draws in the bantamweight division thanks to her top rubbish stories, but this time “Vixen” claims she hasn’t abandoned her opponent. She is simply defending herself.
“I’m not a trash can. I’m simply protecting myself,” Pena continued. “This all started before I knew who Kayla Harrison was. When I defeated Amanda Nunes, I saw this blonde girl sitting on the cageside, getting groans, screaming, having all sorts of indecency, begging Amanda and throwing a wrench with her plan.
“She’s been talking to me for a long time, long before she knew who she was. Her agent commented that she was going to win the murder and catch the murder charge to kill me.