Kayla Harrison isn’t the primary occasion at UFC 307, however she undoubtedly took heart stage throughout a few heated exchanges through the pre-fight press convention on Thursday.
It was virtually anticipated that the two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo would get drawn right into a confrontation with Julianna Pena after they’ve gone back-and-forth by interviews for the higher a part of the previous 12 months. Whereas Harrison is going through Ketlen Vieira on Saturday, and Pena goes for gold in opposition to Raquel Pennington, each fighters hardly ever escape an interview with out being requested a few potential battle between them.
Nonetheless, Harrison tried to keep up her declaration that it doesn’t matter who has the belt after UFC 307 as a result of she’s coming for them.
“Fill within the clean,” Harrison stated about her selection of opponents. “It doesn’t matter. It’s solely a matter of time. I’m the uncrowned queen. First Saturday evening, I smash Ketlen after which I come for my title. Take pleasure in it when you can girls.”
After all, Harrison admitted that she would gladly drive an elbow by Pena’s head without cost, which prompted a response from the previous UFC girls’s bantamweight champion.
“I do know violence,” Pena stated. “Kayla simply acquired right here to the scene. So far as I’m involved, the final time she confronted a Brazilian, she got here operating into the UFC.”
Whereas Pena wished to carry up Harrison’s solely profession loss in a call to Larissa Pacheco within the PFL, the 34-year-old bantamweight rapidly reminded her counterpart that she’s been way more energetic with rather a lot much less time within the sport.
“I’ve extra finishes than Julianna has wins,” Harrison stated. “I don’t know what she’s speaking about. She higher decelerate.
“[I] simply acquired right here? I received two Olympic gold medals. You began your profession in 2009 and also you’re 10-5. I began in 2018 and I’m 17-1.”
That quantity didn’t appear to impress Pena.
“It’s simple to be 17-1 once you’re preventing freaking tomato cans,” Pena stated.
Maybe the extra awkward confrontation got here from Harrison’s interplay with Vieira, who comes into the battle as one of many largest underdogs on your entire card.
Often smooth spoken, notably as a result of she’s sometimes speaking by a translator, Vieira acquired moderately animated on Thursday whereas taking private photographs and low blows at Harrison.
“Pay attention, it’s going to be actually arduous taking a look at your ugly face for me,” Vieira stated. “It’s going to be OK once you look within the mirror.”
The touch upon her look was clearly surprising however Harrison reminded Vieira “my mother thinks I’m fairly … my children suppose I’m fairly, too,” earlier than capping that off by calling her opponent an “asshole.”
Vieira’s frustration in direction of Harrison stems from the eye the previous two-time PFL champion has acquired since signing with the UFC as a high-profile free agent. In her first look with the promotion, Harrison acquired a spot on the coveted UFC 300 card the place she dismantled former champion Holly Holm for a submission win inside two rounds.
Now Harrison is competing in a de facto No. 1 contenders bout whereas awaiting the prospect to face both Pennington or Pena subsequent.
That simply didn’t appear proper to Vieira, who has been grinding her approach by the ladies’s bantamweight division within the UFC for the previous eight years.
“I do know you could have an ideal historical past in judo and I respect that however so that you can skip the road, I really feel that’s a little bit an excessive amount of,” Vieira stated. “We work so arduous for this. Take into consideration myself, since 2018, first I beat Sara McMann and I assumed I’ve a shot on the title. Then I am going on the market and beat Cat Zingano, the woman that truly beat Amanda Nunes, I assumed I had a shot on the title. Then I beat two former champions and I assumed I’m going to have a shot on the title.
“Unexpectedly you come out right here and also you skip the road. Really I had a loss then and I had a loss to Raquel Pennington, any individual energetic, the present champion, any individual I love rather a lot and somebody I mirror myself and my sport and the way in which I behave myself [after]. As a result of I believe coming right here and truly being a champion is extra than simply coming right here and saying loads of bologna.”
For all of the speak about her skipping the road or getting one thing she doesn’t deserve, Harrison reminded all people on stage that she’s prepared for all challenges and invitations them to attempt to shut her up.
“That is the distinction between me and all of those women,” Harrison stated. “I come right here they usually complain ‘she skipped the road, she’s on steroids, it’s not honest, she shouldn’t do that, she shouldn’t do this.’ If this was my division, and I used to be the champion, I might say come the f*ck over and I’ll present you who’s champion.”
