Latest news with #KaylaHarrison
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UFC 316 'Embedded' No. 4: Kayla Harrison takes bird watching to the next level
The UFC is back in New Jersey for UFC 316, its sixth pay-per-view of the calendar year, and the popular "Embedded" fight week video series is here to document what's happening behind the scenes. UFC 316 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark. Advertisement In the headliner, bantamweight champion champion Merab Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) takes on challenger and ex-champ Sean O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a rematch. In the co-feature, women's bantamweight titleholder Julianna Peña (13-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) meets Kayla Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), a two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL $1 million champion who is one of the biggest title challenger betting favorites in UFC history. In addition, former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix (20-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his highly anticipated UFC debut after freeing himself from the PFL when he takes on Mario Bautista (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC). The fourth episode of "Embedded" follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC's description of the episode from YouTube: Champ Merab Dvalishvili gets one last training session in before heading to Newark; Sean O'Malley flies private and plays chess; Kayla Harrison sees a bald eagle outside her window; Joe Pyfer gets his game on; Kevin Holland arrives in Newark; Vicente Luque trains at the hotel; The athletes of UFC 316 begin their fight week check ins. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 316 Embedded 4: Kayla Harrison takes bird watching to next level
USA Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 316 'Embedded' No. 4: Kayla Harrison takes bird watching to the next level
UFC 316 'Embedded' No. 4: Kayla Harrison takes bird watching to the next level The UFC is back in New Jersey for UFC 316, its sixth pay-per-view of the calendar year, and the popular "Embedded" fight week video series is here to document what's happening behind the scenes. UFC 316 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark. In the headliner, bantamweight champion champion Merab Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) takes on challenger and ex-champ Sean O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a rematch. In the co-feature, women's bantamweight titleholder Julianna Peña (13-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) meets Kayla Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), a two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL $1 million champion who is one of the biggest title challenger betting favorites in UFC history. In addition, former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix (20-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his highly anticipated UFC debut after freeing himself from the PFL when he takes on Mario Bautista (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC). The fourth episode of "Embedded" follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC's description of the episode from YouTube:
New York Post
8 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
UFC champ Julianna Pena visits Giants: ‘Incredible experience'
The Giants are a ways off from returning to championship glory. Perhaps Julianna Peña showed them a thing or two about climbing back to the top. Advertisement The UFC women's bantamweight champion, now in her second reign, enjoyed her visit to Giants practice earlier this week ahead of her UFC 316 title defense Saturday at Prudential Center against Kayla Harrison, with several players vowing to be in attendance in Newark. 'That was an incredible experience, one that I'll never forget,' Peña told reporters at Wednesday's media day in Morristown, N.J. 'I am so grateful to the New York Giants. I am a massive football fan.'
USA Today
19 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Kayla Harrison fed up with Julianna Peña's trash talk: 'Just poorly done'
Kayla Harrison fed up with Julianna Peña's trash talk: 'Just poorly done' Kayla Harrison has had enough of Julianna Peña. Show Caption Hide Caption UFC 316: Kayla Harrison media day interview UFC 316 co-headliner Kayla Harrison spoke to MMA Junkie and reporters at media day for her women's bantamweight title fight vs. Julianna Peña. MORRISTOWN, N.J. – Kayla Harrison can't wait till she's locked in the octagon with Julianna Peña. Sure, Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) dreams of dethroning Peña (13-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) at UFC 316, and getting a hold of the UFC women's bantamweight title, but she also just wants to get the pre-fight banter and trash talk over with. Harrison and Peña have gone back and forth over the last few months, with the champion doing most of the talking – which Harrison finds quite bad. "I think hands down this is the most trash talk (I've endured)," Harrison said at the UFC 316 media day on Wednesday. "The talk itself is trashy. I don't know if it's good trash talk, but it's trashy. This is the most I've ever had to endure. Yeah, it's the worst trash talk I've had to endure, it's just poorly done. I'll tell you what. Being a female in a male dominated sport, going to American Top Team, you don't think I hear sh*t all day every day? I walk in the gym, and they're starting to (talk trash). But this was just poorly done. I'm ready to fight. I'm done talking about it." UFC 316 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Peña vs. Harrison serves as the co-main event of the card. Harrison is not interested in going engaging with the pre-fight antics with Peña, nor tearing her down. She does, however, promise she'll be sitting at the top of the women's bantamweight division come Sunday. "I feel nothing. I focus on myself," Harrison said. "I focus on how I carry myself, what I can do. I try not to throw stones from a glass house. Nobody is perfect, we're all doing the best we can, but there's going to be a new face of women's MMA very soon."
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
UFC 316 Fight Card Odds And Predictions: Pena Vs. Harrison
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) Two bantamweight title fights headline Saturday's UFC 316 pay-per-view fight card. In the main event, Merab Dvalishvili puts his men's title on the line against the opponent he took the 135-pound belt from, Sean O'Malley. Meanwhile, in the UFC 316 co-main event, Julianna Pena looks to defend her women's bantamweight crown against former PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison. With the UFC 316 fight card fast approaching, we look at betting odds, line movement, preview, picks, and predictions for the Pena vs. Harrison title fight, which takes place at Prudential Center. The UFC 316 PPV card streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass. 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 Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC) Julianna 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. MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Kayla Harrison is seen on stage during the UFC 316 press conference at ... More Kaseya Center on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC) A two-time Olympic gold medal winner in judo (2012 and 2016), Kayla Harrison (18-1) made her MMA debut in the 155-pound division with PFL in 2018. Harrison ran over her first six opponents, picking up three submissions, two knockouts, and a decision before winning the women's lightweight title by defeating Larissa Pacheco by decision. In November 2020, Harrison defeated Courtney King by TKO in a 145-pound scrap. Shen then moved back to 155 pounds. In 2021, Harrison won the PFL 155-pound tournament with a submission win over Taylor Guardado. By 2022, Harrison had amassed a 15-0 record. However, her unbeaten ended in the finals of the 2022 PFL lightweight tourney when Pacheco scored a unanimous decision win over Harrison. The ex-champ fought once more for the PFL, beating former UFC fighter Aspen Ladd via decision in November 2023 in a 150-pound catchweight fight. 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. MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Kayla Harrison 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) When BetOnline first announced the opening odds for the Pena vs. Harrison matchup, the challenger was a whopping -700 betting favorite over the champ, who opened as the +525 betting underdog. The betting line has shifted since then. Today, Pena is listed at +550, while Harrison comes in at -800. 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 Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC) Age: 35 Height: 5' 7' Reach: 69' Stance: Orthodox Age: 34 Height: 5'8' Reach: 66' Stance: Southpaw MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Kayla Harrison is seen on stage during the UFC 316 press conference at ... More Kaseya Center on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC) Pena is a tough fighter, and that toughness will be tested on Saturday when she faces Harrison at UFC 316. The concern on the Harrison side of the equation is her ability to make 135 pounds and rehydrate and recover. The weight cut will be tough, there's no doubt about that, but Harrison has been a high-level athlete for a long while, and she knows her body and how far she can push herself. That's a plus in this matchup; it could also mean that she will pace herself against Pena so that she does not overextend herself and run out of gas. Harrison is the better athlete and has more routes to victory than Pena. The betting pick is a Harrison win, either by late submission or decision. With the odds being what they are, the value pick is Pena to win via upset, but that's a wager that one should be careful in making. We will have more on the UFC 316 Gastelum vs. Pyfer bout as fight night nears, as well as live results, reactions, highlights and more for the UFC 316 pay-per-view card on fight night.
