Kayla Harrison responds to 'bullsh*t' Julianna Peña comments

The top of the UFC women’s bantamweight division is heating up.  The top four-ranked fighters in the division compete on Saturday’s UFC 307 fight card in Salt Lake City, Utah.  

In the co-main event, champion Raquel Pennington (16-8) puts her title on the line for the first time against former titleholder Julianna Peña (11-5).  Also on the UFC 307 main card, third-ranked Kayla Harrison (17-1) takes on second-ranked Ketlen Vieira (14-3).  Some believe Harrison should be fighting for the title instead of Peña.  

Peña was asked about Harrison deserving a title shot in a recent interview and her comments didn’t sit well with the two-time Olympic champion.  

“I think that not only is it unfair for somebody to beat a 45-year-old and get one win and be able to fight for the title, and just kind of jump the line ahead of all these other girls that have been in the division for a long time, but also, there hasn’t been anybody else that was ever able to stop Amanda Nunes in the dominant fashion that I was able to do,” Peña told MMA Fighting.

Harrison made her promotional debut at UFC 300 in April, dominating former champion Holly Holm.  Prior to arriving in the UFC, Harrison was a two-time PFL champion.   

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“I just think it’s bullshit. Like it would be one thing if I was hyped and I didn’t have the accolades to back it up. But, you know, I’m a two time Olympic champion. I’m 17 and one in my MMA career. I’m a two time world champion in the PFL. Like, I’ve proven myself over and over again and talking about working so hard like, dude, I started judo when I was six years old,” Harrison told Submission Radio.  

“I’ve been busting my ass since first grade. Like, yeah, and I think that I’m just going to keep being so good that they can’t ignore me. Of course she’s going to say that I wouldn’t want to fight me either. I’d be scared shitless. I’d take the money and run. But I’m here and my time is coming.”