Anticipated Title Bout for UFC 316 Scheduled in Newark's Pay-Per-View Event
UFC's been serving up some jaw-dropping matches lately, and they've got another one lined up! According to MMA insider Leó Guimaraes, UFC women's bantamweight queen Julianna Pena will defend her title against Kayla Harrison on June 7 at Newark's Prudential Center. As of now, this title face-off is the sole attraction for UFC 316.
Pena reclaimed her title with a split decision over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 back in October 2024. Shortly after, Harrison clinched her spot for the title shot with a victory over Ketlen Vieira. Thus, we've got the perfect setup for a history-making moment—if Harrison triumphs, she'll join Francis Ngannou in becoming the second fighter to win both PFL and UFC world titles.
Harrison has the chance to make a serious impact, and if she defeats Pena, she'd be the first woman to hold both PFL and UFC world championship belts.
As for Pena, 35, she mentioned she wouldn't stay in the game long. Her dream is to defeat Harrison and then coax Amanda Nunes out of retirement for a possible trilogy battle. Pena claimed victory over Nunes in 2021, breaking Nunes' dominance with an epic second-round submission. However, in the rematch a year later, Nunes returned the favor with a unanimous decision win.
Despite this, it's still uncertain if Nunes will make a comeback—regardless of who emerges victorious between Pena and Harrison.
Now, UFC's putting together an exciting event. There are rumors of adding the coveted Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight for the undisputed heavyweight title as the main event. But remember, UFC also wants to save some strong contenders for their International Fight Week in a few weeks.
Gearing Up for UFC Vegas 103
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On March 1, the UFC returns to Las Vegas with an enticing card. Enjoy these highlights:
- Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev – Flyweight
- Cody Brundage vs. Julian Marquez – Middleweight
- Nasrat Haqparast vs. Esteban Ribovics – Lightweight
- Austen Lane vs. Mario Pinto – Heavyweight
- William Gomis vs. Hyder Amil – Featherweight
- Danny Barlow vs. Sam Patterson – Welterweight
- Ricardo Ramos vs. Chepe Mariscal – Featherweight
- Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. John Castañeda – Bantamweight
- Andrea Lee vs. JJ Aldrich – Flyweight
- Lucas Almeida vs. Danny Silva – Featherweight
- Montana De La Rosa vs. Luana Carolina – Flyweight
- Charles Johnson vs. Ramazan Temirov – Flyweight
- Fans eagerly await UFC 316 news, with June 7 at Newark's Prudential Center marked as the potential date for UFC women's bantamweight champion Julianna Pena's title defense against Kayla Harrison.
- Leó Guimaraes, an MMA insider, reported that the UFC 316 card currently includes this title fight as its sole attraction, with Pena looking to defend her title against Harrison.
- UFC President Dana White has yet to confirm the exact UFC 316 card, but Julianna Pena's upcoming title defense against Kayla Harrison is causing a stir in the MMA community.
- Kayla Harrison, who recently clinched her title shot with a victory over Ketlen Vieira, is eager to make her mark in the UFC women's bantamweight division and join Francis Ngannou as the second fighter to hold both PFL and UFC world titles.
- While Julianna Pena reclaimed her UFC women's bantamweight title with a split decision over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 in 2024, her retirement plans may hinge on a possible trilogy battle against Amanda Nunes.
- The visas for many UFC fighters, including Pena and Harrison, have reportedly been delayed due to international travel restrictions; however, fans are hopeful that the coronavirus pandemic will settle down, enabling the UFC to continue hosting events.
- As UFC gears up for its next event, UFC Vegas 103 on March 1, Julianna Pena is focused on her title defense against Kayla Harrison, while the possibility of the undisputed heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall serving as the main event adds to the excitement for fans.
