Former PFL superstar and Olympic judoka Kayla Harrison remains on the cusp of receiving the women’s bantamweight title shot. But if champ Julianna Pena is not ready to defend, an interim title fight might come into play. Pena’s ongoing health troubles makes it difficult to book the title fight in the early half of 2025.
With no more WMMA featherweight division, Harrison has made the difficult task of cutting down to 135 pounds. After UFC 307 results, many thought Pena vs. Harrison would happen right away. But with the ‘Venezuelan Vixen’ out of action, MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz said what the UFC will do in the meantime so that the division can move forward.
This is what I have been told: if she’s not ready to fight Kayla, she might have some health problems – it’s going to be an interim title, …One hundred, percent this is what’s going to happen. The UFC is just not going to hold the division because someone doesn’t want to fight or is injured.
Ali Abdelaziz to MMAJunkie’s Mike Bohn
Clearly, the Dominance MMA manager did not get the memo about Jon Jones and the 265-pound division logjam. But if what Ali Abdelaziz is hinting is true, this could be interesting. The natural choice for the interim belt would be Harrison vs. Raquel Pennington. Many believe Pennington was the rightful winner at the UFC 307 pay-per-view anyway.
Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison also has been ready to face either of them for a shot at the gold. Just like Michael Chandler (ex-Bellator brand face; got his UFC 155-pound title shot in a sophomore outing), Harrison is a clear bet for an early title. She defeated Viera and all-time veteran Holly Holm to prove her worth. Like many, Abdelaziz likes the Rocky vs. Harrison clash as one to make.
Odds to make: Can Kayla Harrison close out 2025 as a champ?
Numbers do not lie. The digits and tales of tape specifically help when the fighter is that much of a reckoning. Kayla Harrison proved she’s one to look out for. After a record-tying year in 2023 with 11 title changes, the guard changed seven times in 2024. 2025 is yet in the open; but the Olympic gold medalist is a big number bet to end as champ!
Kayla Harrison is a top choice to end the year as UFC champ (Source: X)Harrison made the transition as one of the hot new signings and a Breakout UFC story/debutant in 2024.DraftKings Sportsbook has released the top props (Top 10) to end the year as a divisional champion.
It has names like current interim champ and -130 HW betting favorite Tom Aspinall, the explosive Khamzat Chimaev, Shavkat Rakhmonov, and others. Kayla Harrison at -300 is the largest betting prop across the board to end the year as women’s bantamweight champ!
Her projected opponent, Julianna Pena, is the biggest PPV underdog to retain. Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) didn’t just debut on the floor. She debuted in a new class, making the 135-pound mark twice. This is also why “Good Guy/Bad Guy” (@ESPNMMA, for ESPN2/ ESPNPodcenter) co-hosts and veterans Daniel Cormier/Chael Sonnen agree she is a top crop.
With how much pressure she had mound up on her weight cut issues (hydrated lifelong around 152lbs), she is now Female Fighter of the Year for many. If and when she does get her crack at the gold, Harrison would try to prove just why.
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