Pena Says Hopefully Harrison Cycles Off Steroids Before UFC 316
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Julianna Pena is seen on stage during the UFC 316 press conference at ... More Kaseya Center on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
With UFC 316 fast approaching, UFC women's bantamweight champion Julianna Pena attempted to carefully offer her opinion on the physique of her opponent in the co-main event of that fight card, Kayla Harrison.
UFC 316, the next PPV card on the 2025 UFC schedule, takes place on Saturday, June 7, from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. In the main event, UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili faces Sean O'Malley in a rematch. Dvalishvili claimed the UFC 135-pound title in September 2024 when he and O'Malley first faced off
'It doesn't just happen overnight just because you touch the weights a little bit. I want to say what everybody's thinking on their minds, which is that, of course, she at some point was on steroids and hopefully she cycles off of them before June 7, makes the weight, and pisses clean,' Pena told Ariel Helwani. 'Because that's what I'm going to be doing and I want this fight to be as fair a fight as possible, minus her being a weight bully and cutting the 50 pounds in order to make the weight class.'
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 13: Kayla Harrison reacts to the end of the round in a bantamweight fight ... More during the UFC 300 event at T-Mobile Arena on April 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Pena pointed to the difference between the Harrison who won gold medals in judo at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic games at -78 kg. "I cannot confirm 110 percent wether she is or is not on PEDs, but I will say that back then, in the Olympics, she looked like a girl, very feminine, and now she looks super juicy and cut up.
Gold medallist US Kayla Harrison celebrates on the podium of the women's -78kg judo contest of the ... More Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 11, 2016. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Somebody give that girl a band-aid, because she's cut."
Harrison (18-1) joined the MMA ranks in 2018, competing at 155 pounds for PFL. She was signed by the PFL through 2024. During her run with that promotion, Harrison won two lightweight tournaments, and also fought once at 145 pounds for Invicta FC. When her run with PFL ended, Harrison had a 16-1 record. Her only loss being a decision setback to Larissa Pachecho in the 2022 PFL lightweight tournament final.
In January 2024, the UFC announced it had signed Harrison and that her promotional debut would take place in the 135-pound weight class. Harrison impressed in that performance, submitting former UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm by submission in the second round at UFC 400.
In her next, and most recent, outing, Harrison defeated Ketlen Vieira via unanimous decision.
Harrison is the No. 2 ranked fighter in the official UFC women's 135-pound rankings.
Harrison underwent 13 drug tests under the UFC program in 2024 and she has been tested three times in 2025. Harrison has never failed a drug test in her athletic career.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: (L-R) Opponents Julianna Pena and Kayla Harrison face off during the UFC ... More 316 press conference at Kaseya Center on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Pena (12-5) earned her UFC contract by winning Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter. A member of Team Tate, Pena knocked out Jessica Rakoczy in the first round of their November 2013 matchup. The win moved Pena's record to 5-2.
Pena ran off three victories after that, beating Milana Dudieva, Jessica Eye and Cat Zingano before Valentina Shevchenko ended her winning streak with a January 2017 armbar submission.
In October 2017 Pena announced her pregnancy. When she returned to action in July 2019, Pena defeated Nicco Montano by decision. A submission loss to De Randamie in October 2020 followed.
In January 2021, Pena submitted Sara McMann. Pena, sitting at No. 3 in the women's bantamweight rankings, earned a shot at Amanda Nunes and her bantamweight title in December 2021. She entered that contest as a -650 underdog to the champ, who was the -1000 betting favorite.
In one of the more shocking upsets in UFC title fight history, Pena submitted Nunes in the second round, ending the Brazilian's title reign.
Pena's time at the top of the division was short, as Nunes won their July 2022 rematch by decision.
Pena was set to face Nunes in a trilogy bout at UFC 289, but an injury knocked the former champ from that scrap. Nunes defeated Pena's replacement, Irene Aldana, on that card and then retired.
When Pena returned to action it was at UFC 307 where she defeated then-champion Raquel Pennington via split decision. She makes her first defense of that belt at UFC 316.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 05: Julianna Pena reacts after her victory against Raquel Pennington ... More in the UFC bantamweight championship fight during the UFC 307 event at Delta Center on October 05, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
We will have more on this upcoming UFC 316 PPV as fight night approaches, including previews, odds, and predictions for the UFC 316 fight card.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
6 minutes ago
- USA Today
UFC 316: Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison odds, picks and predictions
UFC 316: Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison odds, picks and predictions In a 5-round women's bantamweight championship bout on the main card, Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison meet Saturday at UFC 316 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The bout is expected to start approximately at 11:45 p.m. ET. Early prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+ / Disney+) with the prelims set for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN / ESPN+ / Disney+) and the main card slated for 10 p.m. ET (Pay-Per-View). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's UFC odds around the UFC 316: Peña vs. Harrison odds, and make our expert UFC picks and predictions. Records: Peña (13-5-0) | Harrison (18-1-0) Peña picked up the championship belt in December 2011 from Amanda Nunes at UFC 269, posting a Round-2 submission win. But then Peña lost the strap in the rematch at UFC 277 in a unanimous-decision setback July 2022. She was expected to face Nunes in a trilogy fight at UFC 289 in June 2023, but Peña suffered broken ribs in training and had to pull out. 'The Venezuelan Vixen' bounced back at UFC 307 after more than a 2-year layoff, topping Raquel Pennington for the belt via split decision at UFC 307 Oct. 5, 2024. After 3 consecutive fights ending via submission from October 2020 to December 2021 -- Peña went 2-1 -- she had back-to-back 5-round decisions -- the rematch loss to Nunes and the title win vs. Pennington. Peña has actually gone the distance 5 times in her past 9 bouts with her last KO/TKO win coming back in April 2015. So, that method can mostly be ignored when it comes to wagering. Harrison gets a crack at the title just 3 fights into her UFC career. She opened with a Round-2 submission of Holly Holm at UFC 300 April 2024, before stopping Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 via unanimous decision last October. Harrison has 3 consecutive victories across all levels since losing a title bout in the 2022 PFL World Championships to Larissa Pacheco Nov. 25, 2022. Harrison has gone the distance 3 times in her past 4 pro bouts. The southpaw Harrison is 34 years old, and she has a 4.87-to-3.25 significant-strikes-landed-per-minute advantage in this matchup. However, Peña has a tremendous 56.25% takedown-accuracy percentage, and she does great work on the canvas. The champ also holds a 3-inch reach advantage, so she'll be able to push and pull the challenger out at her discretion. UFC 316: Peña vs. Harrison odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:43 a.m. ET. Fight result (2-way line) : Peña +475 (bet $100 to win $475) | Harrison -700 (bet $700 to win $100) : Peña +475 (bet $100 to win $475) | Harrison -700 (bet $700 to win $100) Total rounds: 3.5 rounds (Over +100 | Under -135) 3.5 rounds (Over +100 | Under -135) Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +175 | No +250) UFC 316: Peña vs. Harrison picks and predictions It's time for Harrison (-700) to ascend to the throne as champ, but it isn't as huge of a disparity as the sportsbooks are making it out to be. Peña (+475) is a huge underdog, which is stunning considering she is the current title holder. We saw Peña as a giant +600 underdog against Nunes at UFC 269 when she picked up the surprising round-2 submission win. She lost to Nunes in the rematch but rebounded to regain the title vs. Pennington. She has been through the emotions and been through the wars, which will be an advantage against Harrison, who just doesn't have that experience to tap into. PASS. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! Peña has 3 submission results in the past 5 fights, and 4 in the previous 7 outings since January 2017. For Harrison, she has 2 submission results in her past 5 pro fights. As such, betting SUBMISSION (+100) in "how the fight will end' method is a strong value at even-money ... and we don't need to worry about who is the winner. If you like the current champ, PEÑA BY SUBMISSION (+1200) on the 7-way line is a low-risk, high-reward possibility. OVER 3.5 ROUNDS (+100) is even-money is also a good play. Harrison is an upstart, and Peña has been going deep lately. She has gone the distance in the past 2 fights, and Harrison has gone the distance in 3 of the past 4 pro bouts. Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis. For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Keep an eye out for this former West Virginia high school player in the NBA Finals
OKLAHOMA CITY (WBOY) — If you tuned in to Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Thursday night, you may have seen Indiana Pacer Thomas Bryant on the hardwood, a player who spent the formative years of his career right here in West Virginia. Bryant was born in Rochester, New York, but he spent most of his high school career at Huntington Prep School, where he averaged 17.3 points per game in his senior campaign with the Irish, ending with a 29-3 record, according to MaxPreps. Bryant was recruited out of high school in 2015 by Indiana University and spent two seasons with the Hoosiers, starting 69 games and ending with a 45-24 record, according to College Basketball Reference. That 2015 Hoosier squad also made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, but lost to North Carolina. Following his sophomore season, Bryant entered his name into the 2017 NBA Draft, where he was selected in the second round (42nd overall) by the Utah Jazz, according to Basketball Reference. He never made his debut for the Jazz, nor did he spend that long with the team, as he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on that same day for Tony Bradley. The center officially began his NBA career for the Lakers on Dec. 23, 2017, in a loss to Portland. WVU Baseball vs. No. 6 LSU: How to watch Following the 2017–18 season, Bryant was traded around the league, spending stints with Washington, Miami and Denver, which won the NBA Finals in 2023 with Bryant on the roster. He was traded from Miami to the Indiana Pacers in December 2024 and has been a significant contributor from the Indiana bench behind starting center Myles Turner. Bryant made eight regular-season starts since being traded to the Pacers, and he put up a 39-17 record during Indiana's march to the NBA Playoffs. As of Friday, Bryant has played in 15 of the Pacers' 17 playoff games. During Game 1 against Oklahoma City on Thursday, Bryant only saw the court for eight minutes, but he shot the ball perfectly, going 2-2 on his field goal attempts and making his one three-pointer in the win for Indiana, per ESPN. You can catch Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, June 8, at 8 p.m. on WBOY-ABC. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Marchand scores in double OT, Panthers beat Oilers 5-4 to tie Stanley Cup series 1-1
EDMONTON - Brad Marchand had a pair of goals, including the winner in the second overtime, as the Florida Panthers evened their Stanley Cup final rematch with Edmonton, defeating the Oilers 5-4 in a wild Game 2 on Friday. Marchand got a breakaway and was able to sneak a backhand shot through Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner's legs 8:05 into the second overtime. Sam Bennett, Seth Jones and Dmitry Kulikov also scored for the Panthers, who improved to 9-3 on the road in post-season play. Sergei Bobrovsky made 42 saves to register the win in the Florida net. Evander Kane, Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl and Corey Perry replied for the Oilers who had a five-game win streak snapped and dropped to 7-2 at home. Skinner made 37 saves in the loss. Florida started the scoring 2:07 into the opening period on an early power play as Nate Schmidt fed it across to Bennett and he deposited his 13th of the playoffs into the net before Skinner could get across, setting a new NHL record for road goals in a single post-season with 12. The Oilers tied it at 7:39 of the first frame as Kane was sprung on a partial breakaway and beat Bobrovsky up high with a shot that went off the post and in for his sixth of the playoffs. Edmonton then surged in front less than two minutes later with the teams playing four aside as Connor McDavid dropped it back to Bouchard and he got the rebound of his own blocked shot and then sent it past Bobrovsky from distance for his seventh. Florida knotted the game back up with just over eight minutes to play in the frantic first as Eetu Luostarinen made a nice pass across to Jones, who had a wide-open net to rifle in his fourth of the playoffs. Edmonton jumped back in front a minute later after Bennett was sent off for goaltender interference after landing heavily on Skinner's right leg in a play reminiscent of the challenged goal in Game 1, as McDavid made a couple of incredible moves before passing it to Draisaitl who scored his 10th of the playoffs and third of the finals after being held without a goal in last year's final. It was the highest scoring first period in a final since 2016. Florida made it 3-3 at 7:23 of the second period as a Kulikov shot went off of Bouchard and then the post and in for his second. The Panthers took the lead with 7:51 to play in the middle period as Marchand sent it through Skinners' legs on a short-handed breakaway for his sixth. The game looked like it was over, but Edmonton engineered another comeback, scoring with just 18 seconds left in the third period and their goalie pulled as Perry found the puck in a mad scramble in front and managed to bang in his eighth of the playoffs to send the game to extra time. Florida had the best chances in the first overtime, with Marchand sliding a puck under Skinner only to hit the post and be fished to safety by John Klingberg, as well as Sam Reinhart missing the net on a clear breakaway. UP NEXT Game 3 takes place on Monday in Florida. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
