Kayla Harrison claimed the UFC women’s bantamweight title with a dominant submission victory over Julianna Peña at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey. Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and former PFL champion, controlled the action from the start, using her elite judo to repeatedly take Peña down and neutralize her striking..
The first round saw Peña penalized a point for illegal upkicks, putting her further behind on the scorecards. In round two, Harrison intensified her ground attack, eventually locking in a kimura submission at:55—just seconds before the round ended—forcing Peña to tap and ending her title reign. Harrison’s victory marks her first UFC title and extends her reputation as one of the most dominant grapplers in MMA.
After the fight, Harrison called former double champion Amanda Nunes into the Octagon for a face-off, setting up what many are calling the biggest women’s title fight in UFC history. Nunes, widely regarded as the greatest female MMA fighter, has announced her return from retirement to challenge Harrison for the belt.
Harrison’s win also came after a difficult weight cut, as she revealed nearly quitting just days before the fight due to the challenge of making 135 pounds—having previously competed at 155 pounds in the PFL Now, with the division’s biggest matchup on the horizon, the women’s bantamweight landscape is set for another seismic shift.
Watch the official highlights of Kayla Harrison vs. Julianna Peña at UFC 316 here:.
[![UFC 316: Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison Recap Highlights](.
