Kayla Harrison went through several major hurdles to make championship weight for UFC 316.
Newly-crowned UFC women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison left fans and pundits concerned for her safety after a horrific weigh-in on Friday ahead of UFC 316. While Harrison left Newark with a UFC championship belt, her body went through war internally before she entered the Octagon to face Julianna Peña.
Harrison capped off a remarkable UFC stint with a championship win by submitting Peña in the closing seconds of Round 2 at UFC 316. In a fight years in the making, Harrison mauled the reigning champion for as long as the fight lasted, putting an exclamation point on her dominant run in the Octagon.
While Harrison accomplished a lifelong goal this weekend at UFC 316, she paid the physical price for it in the hours before the event.
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Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLCKayla Harrison went through horrific 15-week regimen to make 135 lb championship weightHarrison concerned fans with a ‘skin and bones’ appearance at Friday’s official weigh-in, albeit successfully weighing in at 135 lbs. She had weighed in at 135 lbs just two prior times in her career, both coming under the UFC banner.
Harrison hinted at a grueling process she underwent for weeks to successfully make championship weight. What the newly-crowned champion went through was something not many people could’ve survived through.
In a recent interview with Full Send MMA, Harrison explained her detailed 15-week regimen to make 135 lbs ahead of UFC 316.
“A lot of people talk about it, but a lot of people ain’t about it. Every single day for the last 12 weeks, I haven’t missed a single day of running, walking, swimming, or biking six miles,” Harrison shared.
“And on Sunday I do eight miles. For the last 12-15 weeks I’ve been on a diet, I’d only eat food that’s in my fridge from my chief and my nutritionist, and I’ll have 1 scoop of peanut butter when I feel like I’m going to pass out or dying for some sugar.
“I’ve been through some stuff, but who I became as a result of that stuff, my spirit is unbreakable. My faith is unshakeable, and I’m really proud of that and that’s what this belt represents.”
After successfully making 135 lbs ahead of UFC 316, Harrison will need to successfully make the weight repeatedly if she wants a long, successful title reign. A likely super fight with Amanda Nunes is targeted for the first quarter of 2026, at the earliest, as Nunes needs to re-enter the UFC’s drug testing pool.
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PFL sent a classy message to Kayla Harrison after her UFC 316 title winIn the meantime, as Harrison basks in her historic accomplishment, her former MMA employers weighed in on her performance at UFC 316. After a messy divorce from the PFL in 2024, things between Harrison and co-founder Donn Davis were strained, but things took a cordial turn during UFC 316 fight week.
In a recent statement, Davis referenced his four-year ‘crusade’ for Harrison to get pound-for-pound respect in MMA. After her title win at UFC 316, Harrison will catapult up the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings.
As Harrison looks ahead to a likely super fight against Nunes, she’s arguably the modern face of women’s MMA, and will look to continue her ascent in the UFC record books.
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