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Kayla Harrison made an indelible mark on the UFC in just her third bout in the organization.
Harrison defeated Julianna Peña on Saturday night at UFC 316 via submission to win the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship, potentially setting herself up for an epic fight against Amanda Nunes.
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Kayla Harrison celebrates with President Donald Trump after her victory against Julianna Pena in the UFC women’s bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 316 event at Prudential Center on June 7, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Michelle Farsi/Zuffa LLC)
As Harrison celebrated the victory, she stepped outside the octagon and greeted President Donald Trump. The two embraced with the fighter appearing to be in shock. Trump was in attendance for the matches that took place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
“The president of the United States is giving me a kiss on my cheek, and I’m like, holy (cow),” Harrison said after the fight. “And then Mike Tyson is right there! I’m like, am I in a movie right now? What is happening?”
Now, Harrison appears to be on the path to a mega fight against Nunes.
Nunes vacated the 135-pound title when she retired from the sport in 2023. She is not currently in the UFC’s drug testing pool and will need to complete six months of random drug testing before she can fight again.
President Donald Trump congratulates Kayla Harrison after winning her women’s bantamweight bout against Julianna Pena during the UFC-316 mixed martial arts event at the Prudential Center on Saturday, June 7, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Manuel Ceneta)
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“We’re definitely going to see each other in the future,” Nunes told Harrison.
Harrison was a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo before she turned her attention to mixed martial arts. She made her MMA debut in 2018 in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and quickly became one of the top female fighters in the organization.
She was the PFL women’s lightweight champion in 2019 and 2021.
Kayla Harrison poses with President Donald Trump after her victory against Julianna Pena in the UFC women’s bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 316 event at Prudential Center on June 7, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Michelle Farsi/Zuffa LLC)
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Harrison’s win over Peña marked her third in the UFC. She has already defeated Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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