UFC News · Jul 3, 2025
Kayla Harrison Is Just Getting Started
Newly Minted Bantamweight Champion Kayla Harrison Is Enjoying Championship Life While Also Keeping Her Focus On The Challenges Awaiting Her
Kayla Harrison isn’t unfamiliar with the champion’s life, but that doesn’t make her ascendency to the bantamweight throne any less sweet. Since she joined the roster in April 2024, UFC gold was her lone focus, and at UFC 316 in New Jersey, she completed her journey as she submitted Julianna Peña in the second round.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo won mixed martial arts titles in other promotions, but now that she sits atop the UFC’s 135-pound division, she is fully aware of the eyeballs the mixed martial arts leader attracts.