Michael Bisping previews Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison at UFC 316, claims "the mind is a great equalizer" 

Michael Bisping shared his insights on what makes Julianna Pena a formidable challenge for Kayla Harrison. Pena is set to defend the women's bantamweight title against Harrison in the co-headlining bout of this weekend's UFC 316 pay-per-view event. Harrison, a former Olympic gold medalist Judoka and PFL tournament winner, is favored to win due to her impressive track record.

However, during his pre-fight breakdown on TNT Sports, Bisping pointed out that Harrison can slow down in her fights, referencing her recent win over Ketlen Vieira and her loss to Larissa Pacheco in PFL. Bisping further stated:

"One thing that Julianna Pena is not going to do is, getting tired. She has a great team around her, she has great training partners, men and women. She's got good grappling, and she's big for the division. Sometimes, she's not as technical, but [the mind] controls everything. She has one of the strongest minds in all of the sport."

He added:

"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:

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Former UFC champion gives his prediction for Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison

While Michael Bisping believes that Julianna Pena's toughness and cardio can potentially hurt Kayla Harrison's prospects of winning the UFC bantamweight title, Demetrious Johnson offered a different perspective on the matchup.

During a recent appearance on Tim Welch's podcast, Johnson, the former UFC flyweight champion, was asked who he would bet on in the Pena vs. Harrison fight. 'Mighty Mouse' replied:

"Even though Julianna Pena is a scrapper, she does come forward with those heat-seeking missiles, kind of like DDP over the guard, I think Kayla Harrison is just a bigger, stronger athlete... Great judo, great wrestling... I think she understands where she can nullify Julianna Pena's scrappiness. But, Julianna Pena, she has beaten Amanda Nunes, one of the GOATs of women's MMA. So you can never count out Pena."

Check out Demetrious Johnson's comments below (38:20):

UFC 316 will take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on June 7. The winner of Pena vs. Harrison is likely to face former two-time champion Amanda Nunes, who has expressed interest in returning to competition in recent months.