Former champion Julianna Pena reveals how she fought against Kayla Harrison at UFC 316 with multiple injuries!
Fighting injured has been part of MMA since the sport began. Fighters often hide injuries from fans, media, and sometimes even their own teams. They know that showing weakness can give opponents a mental edge before the fight even starts.
The women’s bantamweight division has been particularly brutal when it comes to this warrior mentality. Amanda Nunes fought through countless injuries during her championship runs. Ronda Rousey competed with various ailments throughout her dominant streak. Now fans are learning that Julianna Pena continued this tradition in her recent title defense against Kayla Harrison at UFC 316. The difference is that Pena’s injuries might have been severe enough to change the entire outcome of the fight.
Julianna Pena dropped a bombshell recently about her UFC 316 title defense against Kayla Harrison. The former champion revealed she went into that fight dealing with what she called a “severe handicap.” Pena revealed via The Ariel Helwani Show that she was dealing with legitimate injuries with one of the most dangerous grapplers in the sport.
“I was plagued with several injuries heading into that fight. It wasn’t a good camp for me in that sense, because I knew that I was going into the fight with a pretty severe handicap. It crossed my mind [to withdraw] but it wasn’t bad enough to the point where I would have to not fight, because I knew I was going to be able to push through…I don’t regret competing, I just wish I could’ve competed under better circumstances.”
During the second week of May, just weeks before the fight, Pena broke her thumb during training. But that wasn’t even the worst part of her injury problems. Pena also took a nasty fall in the octagon during training that tore her elbow and created multiple bone chips. The injury was so bad that she couldn’t fully straighten or bend her arm. MRI and X-ray results showed significant damage that would normally require immediate medical attention. Instead, she chose to push through and fight anyway, knowing she was going into battle with one arm essentially compromised.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. These injuries happened just ten days before her fight with Harrison. Most fighters would have pulled out immediately, but Pena felt she had invested too much time and effort to back down. She also mentioned feeling responsible to her coaches, training partners, and even her daughter. The pressure to perform when you’re the champion can be overwhelming, even when your body is telling you to stop.
(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)
mma
