Kayla Harrison sees benefits of Julianna Peña’s trash talk before UFC 316
COCONUT, CREEK, Fla. – Kayla Harrison is happy to let Julianna Peña do all the talking in advance of their UFC 316 title fight.
At the first press conference in advance of the women’s bantamweight title fight on June 7 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+), reining champ Peña (11-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) came out hot and heavy with a verbal attack on challenger Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC).
The trash talk was wide-ranging, and although it was a lot to digest, Harrison said her relatively calm reaction was the right way to play it.
“I’m still trying to figure out what happened,” Harrison told MMA Junkie. “It was a lot. I thought we were going to talk a little bit of sh*t. I was expecting us to have a little bit of fun with it, but she came out swinging and I was like – it kind of works in my favor because she talks so much that everybody just hates her. So I win a lot of fans when I’m just like, ‘All right, whatever, honey.’ She was talking about (Cris) Cyborg and running and grandmas and skinny and bloody and walking tacos, and I was like, ‘What is happening right now?’ We’ll see.”
Harrison admits she initially had some questions about whether Peña one-upper her on the microphone in the eyes of the public. That’s open to interpretation, but she said it’s nothing that will cause her to lose a wink of sleep in advance of the matchup, and if anything, only provided more fuel.
“I definitely don’t prepare material,” Harrison said. “If I have a zinger, you know that’s an actual zinger, so you can respect that about me, because I am pretty funny, sometimes. I did not have any zingers. At first, I was like, ‘Oh, did I just lose the press conference?’ At the end of the day, I understand this is entertainment and this is part of my job, but I do it because I want to get in the cage and shut the door. That’s the part that I love the most. I had fun, and I can’t wait for June 7.”
Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL season champion, has been dreaming of competing for a UFC championship since she entered MMA. The path to this moment has had more twists and turns than expected, but she will enter the octagon at UFC 316 as the heavy betting favorite.
She doesn’t expect Peña to just roll over for her, though. Harrison said she is readying herself for the toughest fight yet, and if she sticks to that mindset, gold will be wrapped around her waist.
“I’m preparing for Godzilla,” Harrison said. “I’m preparing for the hardest fight I’ve ever had. I’m preparing for UFC gold and when preparation is perfect and you have an indomitable spirit and you have the mental fortitude and the indomitable will that I have, good things happen. I always want to win by knockout, TKO or submission, but I’m prepared for five hard rounds, and I don’t care how I win. I just know that I’m going to win.”
To hear more from Harrison, check out her complete appearance above on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.
