![Julianna Pena (left) gets honest about engaging in a trash talk with Kayla Harrison (right). [Images courtesy: Getty]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/e8b57-17490910588722-1920.jpg)
![Julianna Pena (left) gets honest about engaging in a trash talk with Kayla Harrison (right). [Images courtesy: Getty]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Julianna Pena recently denied engaging in any deliberate trash talk with Kayla Harrison. According to Pena, she is only defending herself in response to the former PFL champion's comments about her.
Pena and Harrison will meet for the women's bantamweight title at UFC 316 on June 7 in Newark, New Jersey. Ahead of the fight, both fighters have taken verbal shots or thrown insults at each other.
In the media day interview ahead of UFC 316, 'The Venezuelan Vixen' shed light on her part in the back-and-forth with Harrison, saying:
"I'm not trash-talking, I'm simply defending myself. This all started before I even knew who Kayla Harrison was. When I beat Amanda Nunes, I saw this blonde girl seating cageside, freaking out, cussing and having all sorts of obscenities to say about me for beating Amanda Nunes and throwing a gigantic wrench in her plans."
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Check out Julianna Pena's comments below (5:00):
Valentina Shevchenko believes Julianna Pena "deserves" to win against Kayla Harrison
Julianna Pena won the women's UFC bantamweight title for the first time by defeating Amanda Nunes at UFC 269. Although she lost that title in a rematch, Pena has come full circle by winning it back in her last fight at UFC 307 in a win over Raquel Pennington.
Meanwhile, Kayla Harrison has fought in the UFC only twice, defeating Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira.
In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Pena's former rival, Valentina Shevchenko, gave her insight about the co-main event of UFC 316. She emphasized that the Venezuelan fighter deserves to retain her title, saying:
"Julianna, she possesses this ability to win, to turn the fight from a position where she's uncomfortable to comfortable and win the fight... Me being a former opponent of Julianna, on the personal side, I definitely like her style and... I wish both fighters a lot of success to win, but I will be rooting for Julianna. I think she deserves, and I think she has everything to win.''
Check out Valentina Shevchenko's comments below (2:27):
