Kayla Harrison does not have a preferred opponent for title fights. However, she would rather punish Julianna Pena over other women in the bantamweight division. After dominating the competition in PFL, Harrison transitioned to the UFC and defeated former champion Holly Holm in her promotional debut.
Currently the No.3-ranked bantamweight contender, Harrison will face No.2-ranked Ketlen Vieira in a potential title eliminator bout at UFC 307. Meanwhile, bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington will attempt the first defense of her title against former title holder Julianna Pena on the same card.
In a recent interview with John Morgan of Grind City Media, Harrison said that she will step up to fight for the title if the opportunity shows up:
"One of those b****es get sick or hurt or injured, I will take that fight on 30 seconds' notice." [6:05]
If Harrison emerges victorious against Vieira, she is likely to face the winner of Pennington vs. Pena at a later date. While Pennington is one of the most respectful fighters on the UFC roster, Pena usually engages in trash talk and pre-fight antics to promote her fights. When asked if she prefers any one of them as an opponent, Harrison said:
"To have a preference would mean I have an emotion... I don't care. I really do not carẹ! The goal is the belt. But, if we're talking about Kayla the psychopath, of course, I would rather put an elbow through Julianna's skull than Raquel's. Juliana's face is annoying, of course I would pick that face!"
Check out Kayla Harrison's comments below (7:15):
UFC 307 is scheduled to take place on Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The event will be headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between defending champion Alex Pereira and No.8-ranked Khalil Rountree Jr., while Pennington vs. Pena will likely be the co-main event.