UFC star Kayla Harrison and Julianna Peña have been at loggerheads for a few years, but it seems Harrison has had a change of mind.
The beef started years back, but things escalated when Peña blasted Harrison for re-signing with PFL. The trash talk got even more intense when Peña accused Harrison of abusing steroids when they were booked to fight at UFC 316.
In the end, Harrison got the last laugh after she secured a second-round submission win that forced Peña to tap out, making Harrison the new UFC bantamweight champion. Moments after winning the belt, Harrison embraced Peña and they shared a prayer together, a moment that gave Harrison a newfound perspective on one of her most heated rivals.
“I definitely said that I wouldn’t be friends with her, but I think I was wrong,” Harrison told MMA Fighting when addressing her feelings towards Peña. “I’m woman enough to admit when I’m wrong, I say I’m wrong.
“Sharing that prayer was really powerful. I just wanted to go pray for her, but when she prayed for me, that was a really telling moment for me. Like, she’s a sportswoman. She sold this fight. She did what she had to do and I respect that. Actually, I had a lot of fun, too. It’s definitely the most trash talk and the most tension I’ve ever really had in a fight, and I enjoyed that. I had fun. I think she’s cool. She’s legit. I’m cool with Julianna.”
After the win, Harrison’s perspective about Peña changed and she revealed she had much respect for her rival prior to the fight.
“I do think if I take anything away from this fight, it’s to remember who the ‘F’ I am,” Harrison said. “Not that I was listening to the outside noise, but I was like, ‘Oh yeah, this girl beat Amanda [Nunes] and she’s going to drag me into deep waters and I’m going to have to be smart,’ and of course, all that is true. She beat Amanda. She is tough as nails. Her game plan was to drag me into deep waters.
“But I’m the best fighter in the world. I probably could have unleashed in the first round a little bit more, but I was a little bit hesitant. The first round’s a feeling-out process. What if she comes out swinging in the second round? Don’t get impatient, take your time, pick your shots. No, I’m the best fighter in the world.”
“I was overwhelmed with emotion,” Harrison said. “You’re almost holding your breath. You’re almost kind of like don’t mess up, don’t mess up, be smart. It was short time, I heard the clapper, I had the grip, it’s a position I’m really comfortable in. I drill it with [Steve] Mocco and Mike [Brown] all the time. It’s a submission I get quite a bit in practice as well.
“Dude, I just couldn’t believe it. I could not believe that she tapped. I couldn’t believe it was over. I couldn’t believe I was UFC champion. It was overwhelming.”
Following the fight, Peña offered her congratulations but later said she was willing to wait for the winner of Harrison’s expected fight against Amanda Nunes, who is coming out of retirement to return to the UFC.
Harrison went on to say she doesn’t believe she will cross paths with Peña inside the Octagon again, but Peña believes there might be a possibility as she continues working her way back to another title fight. Time will tell if she can secure another opportunity.
“I mean I don’t think so,” Harrison said. “Again, not talking crap. I think she’s 2-2 in her last four or 3-3 in her last six, something like that. I think she’s got to go back to the drawing board and get some wins.
“There’s also a whole division, there’s a lot of young, hungry killers coming up. We’ll see. I’ll fight whoever they want me to fight, but in my heart, I don’t think that we’ll fight again.”
