This is the UFC 316 live blog for Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison, the main card bantamweight championship bout Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Though Peña enters the bout as UFC champion, Harrison is currently MMA Fighting’s No. 1 ranked fighter at 135 pounds. Harrison also stands at No. 4 in the Pound-for-Pound rankings, with Peña in at No. 13.
Peña (12-5) is in her second title reign. She won the belt again with a narrow split decision win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 this past October and now looks to defend the title fir the first time. “The Venezuelan Vixen” previously held the belt following a shocking upset of Amanda Nunes at UFC 269, but dropped it in their immediate rematch seven months later. Most oddsmakers have Peña designated as a 5-to-1 underdog, a rarity for a defending champion.
Those odds may have something to do with Harrison’s impressive accomplishments thus far. Harrison (18-1) is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo (the first American judoka to ever become Olympic champion) and a two-time PFL tournament winner at 145 pounds. She made her UFC debut with a second-round submission of former bantamweight champion Holly Holm and then outpointed Ketlen Vieira to earn her shot at Peña. A highly anticipated bout with Nunes could be in her future with a victory Saturday.
Check out the UFC 316 live blog for Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison below.
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