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
- Champ Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France – for flyweight 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.
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