Jun 7, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, UNITED STATES; Julianna Pena (red gloves) prepares to fight Kayla Harrison (not pictured) in a bantamweight title bout during UFC 316 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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Julianna Pena vs Kayla Harrison Head To Head Comparison, Tale Of The Tape And More!

Get to know the head to head record, tale of the tape and more for the upcoming Julianna Pena vs Kayla Harrison fight at UFC 316!

Women’s bantamweight division has seen champions fallen when nobody expected it, and underdogs shock the world time and again. Two fighters who embody this chaos perfectly are Julianna Pena and Kayla Harrison. Their upcoming clash at UFC 316 represents everything fans love about mixed martial arts, the clash of different worlds colliding in the octagon.

What makes this matchup absolutely fascinating is how different these two women are in their approaches to fighting. Pena represents the scrappy underdog who clawed her way up through sheer willpower and heart. Harrison brings Olympic-level pedigree and technical excellence that few fighters can match. When they step into the cage on June 7, 2025, fans will witness a classic battle between heart and technique, grit and gold medals!

Julianna Pena’s MMA Journey

Julianna Pena started her professional MMA career in 2009 after going 2-0 as an amateur, but her path was anything but smooth. Her early years were marked by tragedy when a drunk driver knocked her unconscious in downtown Spokane, leaving her with a broken nose and serious injuries. She fought just two months later but lost to Sarah Moras, showing the kind of toughness that would define her career.

#4 Julianna Pena pulls off the unthinkable

Julianna Pena (+700) defeats Amanda Nunes via Rear Naked Choke in the 2nd at UFC 269 for the Bantamweight Championship

My personal number one pic.twitter.com/kgDFtwchdl
— The Octagon Obsessed (@octagonobsessed) October 23, 2023

The turning point came when Pena earned a spot on The Ultimate Fighter 18. Nobody gave her much of a chance against seasoned veterans like Shayna Baszler, who was considered one of the top fighters in the house. But ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season by submitting Baszler with a rear naked choke. She carried that momentum all the way to the finale, where she beat Jessica Rakoczy to become the TUF 18 women’s bantamweight champion. That victory launched her UFC career and showed everyone that she belonged with the elite.

Her UFC run had its share of ups and downs, including devastating injuries that kept her out for extended periods. A knee injury in 2014 damaged her ACL, MCL, LCL, and meniscus all at once, forcing her to rebuild everything from scratch. She also took time off to start a family, returning after nearly two and a half years away from competition.

But Pena’s biggest moment came at UFC 269 when she shocked the world by submitting Amanda Nunes, who was considered unbeatable at the time. That victory ranks as one of the greatest upsets in UFC history and proved that anything can happen in this sport. She recently got the belt back after defeating Raquel Penninngton at UFC 307.

Julianna Pena’s MMA Record

18 Fights	Win	Loss
By KO/TKO	3	1
By Submission	6	2
By Decision	4	2

Kayla Harrison’s MMA Journey

Kayla Harrison took a completely different route to UFC, one paved with Olympic medals and judo excellence. Before she ever threw a punch in mixed martial arts, Harrison had already conquered the world twice over. She won Olympic gold medals in judo at both the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics, becoming the first American to ever win Olympic gold in judo. Her grappling credentials were already legendary before she ever stepped into an MMA cage.

Kayla Harrison submits Holly Holm in the 2nd round of her UFC debut!

WELCOME TO THE UFC! 🔥 #UFC300 pic.twitter.com/rKzapAvA8y
— COMBAT SPORTS TODAY (@CSTodayNews) April 14, 2024

Harrison’s transition to mixed martial arts began with the PFL in 2018 where she dominated the lightweight division. Her debut against Brittney Elkin ended with a first-round armbar submission, setting the tone for what was to come. She went on to win the PFL Women’s Lightweight Championship twice, in 2019 and 2021, steamrolling through competition with her superior grappling skills and ever-improving striking.

After years of dominance, she suffered her first professional loss to Larissa Pacheco at PFL 10 in 2022, losing a unanimous decision in the championship final. Instead of crumbling, Harrison used that setback as motivation to eventually make the jump to the UFC. Her promotional debut against Holly Holm at UFC 300 couldn’t have gone better. She submitted the former champion with a rear naked choke in the second round, announcing her arrival in style!

Kayla Harrison’s MMA Record

19 Fights	Win	Loss
By KO/TKO	6	0
By Submission	7	0
By Decision	5	1

Julianna Pena vs Kayla Harrison Tale Of The Tape

Tale Of The Tape	Julianna Pena	Kayla Harrison
Record	13-5	18-1
Height	5’6”	5’8”
Weight	135 lbs	135 lbs
Reach	69”	66”
Stance	Orthodox	Southpaw
D.O.B	Aug 19, 1989	Jul 2, 1990

(Image Credit: Vincent Carchietta – Imagn Images)

Juliana 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!