Kayla Harrison’s long-awaited chance to fight for UFC gold is now set.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will challenge Julianna Pena (11-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) for the women’s bantamweight championship at UFC 316 on June 7 from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
UFC CEO Dana White announced the news Tuesday on Instagram Live as part of a series of UFC 316 matchups.
Peña, 35, captured the 135-pound title for the second time this past October with a controversial split decision victory over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307. She urged Amanda Nunes to come out of retirement for a trilogy bout but will not get her wish.
Instead, Harrison, 34, will get her first crack at a belt inside the octagon. After coming over from PFL in early 2024, Harrison has opened her UFC career with a submission of Holly Holm and a decision win over Ketlen Vieira.
The latest lineup for UFC 316 now includes:
Champ Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley – for bantamweight title
Champ Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison – for women’s bantamweight title
Mario Bautista vs. Marlon Vera
Shamil Gaziev vs. Serghei Spivac
Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van
Azamat Murzakanov vs. Johnny Walker
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 316.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
