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Kayla Harrison will clash with Julianna Pena for the bantamweight title at UFC 316 this weekend, and Jon Anik made some big claims about Harrison's future if she takes home the title.
Harrison is 2-0 in the UFC and has already defeated Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira, but her legacy holds way more importance than her UFC record. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a former PFL champion.
In a recent discussion on MMA Junkie Radio, Anik shared his thoughts on Harrison's future. Claiming that she has the potential to become the face of women's MMA, the UFC commentator said:
"Kayla Harrison has the potential to be a face – if not the face – of women's mixed martial arts if she has the undisputed UFC bantamweight championship around her shoulder. And not once, but twice, she struck Olympic gold representing the stars and stripes of the United States of America."
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He added:
"There aren't a lot of American champions right now. So, I think the potential for Kayla Harrison would be vast. Not just internationally, but particularly domestically to really gain some steam and just be trotted around on every big show here in the U.S... I'd love to see Kayla Harrison's story really get told on a huge scale, especially in the U.S."
Check out Jon Anik's comments below (17:30):
Michae Bisping previews Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison
Julianna Pena stunned the fighting world when she scored a submission victory over Amanda Nunes at UFC 259. While she lost her title in their rematch, 'The Venezuelan Vixen' reclaimed the women's bantamweight championship at UFC 307 by defeating Raquel Pennington.
In a recent pre-fight breakdown for TNT Sports, Michael Bisping explained that Pena's mental toughness will be pivotal in her title defence fight against Kayla Harrison at UFC 316, saying:
"I think Kayla Harrison, technically, is probably better everywhere. She's probably a better athlete... The Olympic level is insane. She's been around that. So, technically, athletically, probably better. But the mind is a great equalizer, and Julianna Pena has that leaps and bounds. She wasn't intimidated by Amanda Nunes, and she isn't getting intimidated by Kayla Harrison."
Check out Michael Bisping's comments below (1:00):
