UFC 316: Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison Predictions and Odds

Reigning UFC women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Pena will defend her title against Kayla Harrison in the co-main event of UFC 316 on June 7, which goes down inside the Prudential Center in Newark.

This marks the first defense of Pena in her second reign as the queen of the division, and she’ll be the considerable betting underdog in the match with +500 UFC odds. On the other hand, Harrison’s Olympic and championship experience outside of the UFC makes her the overwhelming -715 favorite.

Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison Odds

• Juliana Pena: +500
• Kayla Harrison: -715

Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison: Prediction

I predict Harrison will get the TKO victory against Pena in their championship match because of her dominant and superior grappling skills that would allow her to rain down the ground-and-pound strikes against the defending champion.

Harrison’s immense Judo experience has served her well in her successful transition to MMA. Once she gets hold of her opponents, Harrison drowns them to the ground until they break.

Although Pena is a fighter with a solid BJJ background, which helped her score the massive upset against Amanda Nunes in their first meeting in December 2021, I still think that Harrison’s grappling and ground game are much better.

There are two possible outcomes in this championship showdown. First, Harrison could maneuver her way into a submission finish, but Pena’s BJJ will prevent and fend it off well, which is why I lean towards a TKO/KO finish via ground-and-pound for Harrison.

Julianna Pena’s Recent Fight Results

Pena was the The Ultimate Fighter 18 winner in December 2013 after she stopped Milana Dudieva in the opening round of the tournament’s final match, which earned her a roster spot in the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Since that win, she fought 10 times inside the octagon and won seven. Her most notable victories were against Nunes in December 2021 and Raquel Pennington in October to capture the UFC women’s bantamweight title.

Kayla Harrison’s Recent Fight Results

Harrison was a former two-time Olympic gold medalist for Judo before she transitioned to professional fighting in June 2018 and signed with the PFL. During her six-year tenure with the promotion, she accumulated a dominant record of 16-1 and became the longtime titleholder.

In 2024, she finally signed with the UFC and won her first two matches in the octagon against Holly Holm in April 2024 via second-round submission at UFC 300 and Ketlen Vieira in October via unanimous decision at UFC 307 to secure the title shot against Pena.

Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison: Tale of the Tape