Kayla Harrison reflects on Amanda Nunes' loss to Julianna Pena - "The whole world was in shock"
Kayla Harrison recently commented on Amanda Nunes' loss to Julianna Pena at UFC 269.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, the former PFL fighter was asked about Nunes' unexpected defeat to Pena. Harrison expressed her disbelief at the loss. However, she did acknowledge Julianna Pena's strategy as a 'smart plan':
"Yeah. I mean, I think I was just in shock. I think the whole world was in shock. I think Amanda was in shock. You know, credit to Julianna, she executed a great game plan. She pressured her early and she ate those big shots and wasn't afraid to keep coming forward. I think it's a smart game plan. And, you know, failure is our fuel; it's our opportunity to grow. We don't grow if we don't get challenged and I think it is a great opportunity for Amanda to grow."
Catch Kayla Harrison's interview with MMA Junkie below:
At UFC 269, Amanda Nunes faced off against one of the few contenders she hadn't already defeated. Julianna Pena entered the fight as a massive underdog. Many believed the fight was merely a stopgap until the UFC could book Nunes against worthier opponents, such as Kayla Harrison.
However, Pena astounded the world. After conclusively losing the first round, 'The Venezuelan Vixen' returned with a vengeance in the second. She did something very few people have ever done. She stood and traded with Amanda Nunes. The Brazilian appeared to be caught off guard by this approach, and she began to wilt under pressure.
JULIANNA PENA JUST SHOCKED THE WORLD!!!
SHE JUST SUBMITTED AMANDA NUNES!!!
AND NEWWWWWWWWW!!!
#UFC269 https://t.co/ITDFIq81ij
Pena refused to back down. After bringing the fight to the mat, she was able to lock in a modified rear-naked choke and force Nunes to tap. With the victory, Pena established herself as one of the greatest underdog champions of all time.
Kayla Harrison close to re-signing with the PFL
Over the last few months, there has been much speculation in the MMA community about Kayla Harrison possibly joining the UFC. Harrison happens to be one of the most sought-after free agents in MMA.
However, Ariel Helwani recently revealed on Twitter that she is likely to re-sign with the PFL:
“The strong front-runner to sign Kayla Harrison right now is the PFL. Not a done deal just yet, but they are definitely the strongest atop leaderboard at the moment.”
All but done. arielhelwani.substack.com/p/two-cent-tue… https://t.co/YgvtkMMufU
Harrison won gold medals in judo at the Olympics in 2012 and 2016. She later switched to MMA and won the PFL women's lightweight tournament in 2019 and 2021. Her most recent match was a second-round submission victory over Taylor Guardado at PFL 10 in October 2021. Following the event, Harrison became a free agent.
Kayla Harrison still remains a free agent and has yet to sign for a promotion, per Ali. PFL is the frontrunner for her acquisition at this time.