Kayla Harrison’s much-anticipated fight left some fans and athletes, especially Juliana Pena, unimpressed. The two-time Olympic judo gold medalist was expected to make waves in the bantamweight division. But her performance at UFC 307 didn’t quite live up to the hype. She faced off against Ketlen Vieira in what many thought would be a showcase fight. The stage was set for her to dazzle the crowd. Instead, the fight went the distance.
Harrison did enough to secure the victory on the judges’ scorecards. The newly crowned bantamweight champ Julianna Pena didn’t mince words about Harrison’s performance at the post-fight press conference.
“She said she was gonna put her elbow through her skull, and she was gonna, you know, do all this damage. Like the girl didn’t have a scratch on her. It was boring, and she didn’t do anything that jumped off the page like, ooh, the boogeyman, you know what I mean. So I was definitely, you know, especially with hearing from my team, not impressed.”
Juliana Pena believed Harrison’s game plan seemed a bit one-dimensional and called her a “one-trick pony.” However, this lackluster showing might actually work in Harrison’s favor. Opponents might underestimate her now.
Pena’s criticism sets up an interesting narrative for their inevitable clash. Will Harrison prove she’s more than a one-trick pony? Or will ‘The Venezuelan Vixen‘ stuff those takedowns and expose a limited striking game? Only time will tell.
Daniel Cormier Gives His Take On Juliana Pena Not Calling Out Kayla Harrison
Daniel Cormier has once again stirred the pot. This time, he’s taken aim at newly crowned bantamweight champ Pena. The drama revolved around Pena’s post-fight callout, or rather, the lack thereof.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MMA stories via Google! Follow Us
Juliana Pena reclaimed her title after a 5 round battle against Raquel Pennington. The stage was set for a classic callout moment with Kayla Harrison, fresh off a win, waiting in the wings. But Pena zigged when everyone expected her to zag. Instead of naming Harrison, she called out Amanda Nunes and Cormier responded bluntly to Pena’s choice.
“I will say this: she dropped the ball on the callout. I mean, Kayla’s on the screen. Say her name. Why not sell the person that is clearly going to be your No. 1 contender? There is no world where she does not fight Kayla Harrison. She’s fighting her next. You might as well put the sell on it,” said Cormier via his YouTube channel.
Cormier, however, did throw Juliana Pena a bone. He praised her toughness and acknowledged her as a deserving champ. His critique adds another layer to the bantamweight drama as the 135-pound division keeps getting a lot more interesting.
Also Read: Julianna Pena Shares Her Bold Mission To Bring Amanda Nunes Out Of Retirement
