Oct 5, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Julianna Pena (blue gloves) before a women’s bantamweight title bout against Raquel Pennington (not pictured) during UFC 307 at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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Julianna Pena Confident In Submission Victory Against Olympic Judo Gold Medalist At UFC 316!

Julianna Pena reveals her intention to submit the submission wizard Kayla Harrison who is an Olympic Judoka!

Julianna Pena has never been one to back down from bold predictions. The ‘Venezuelan Vixen’ made her name by shocking the world with one of the biggest upsets in UFC history when she submitted Amanda Nunes. Now she sits as champion once again after reclaiming her title from Raquel Pennington in a decision at UFC 307. The trash talk has already started flowing, and Pena seems convinced she knows exactly how her next title defense will end.

At UFC 316 on June 7th at Newark’s Prudential Center, Pena faces perhaps her toughest challenge yet in Kayla Harrison. Harrison isn’t just any contender, she is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo and the only American to ever achieve that feat. She won gold medals at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics before transitioning to MMA, where she dominated the PFL lightweight division. Her grappling credentials are absolutely ridiculous, making her one of the most decorated athletes to ever step into the octagon. Yet Pena believes she can submit this submission wizard.

Julianna Pena’s Submission Confidence Against Olympic Gold

Pena has stated she’s looking for a submission victory against Harrison, which might sound like wishful thinking when fans consider what she’s up against. Harrison’s judo background means she’s spent her entire athletic career learning how to avoid getting submitted while applying her own finishing techniques. She has translated those skills beautifully to MMA, using her world-class grappling to dominate opponents who thought they had solid ground games.

But Pena isn’t completely crazy for thinking this way. Her submission of Nunes was the result of relentless pressure and superior conditioning in the later rounds. She managed to break down one of the greatest fighters of all time and finish her with a textbook rear naked choke. She doesn’t need to be the better grappler on paper if she can create chaos and capitalize on moments when her opponent makes mistakes. This is what she said in an interview with Submission Radio:

“ I see this fight going with getting my hand raised, I see a submission. I see me being able to break her mentally.”

The matchup becomes fascinating when fans break down what each woman brings to the table. Harrison’s judo gives her incredible takedown ability and submission defense, but judo and MMA grappling aren’t exactly the same thing. The gi changes everything about grips and positioning. And Harrison has had to adapt her Olympic skills to work in a cage with different rules.

Pena thrives in messy, chaotic situations where technique meets willpower. Her technique isn’t pretty or textbook perfect, but it’s effective when the fight gets dirty. She excels at finding ways to win when things don’t go according to plan, which could be problematic for Harrison. The UFC octagon can be an unpredictable place where heart and determination sometimes matter more than credentials.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Julianna Pena

Kayla Harrison

UFC 316

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!