UFC 316: Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison Preview, Odds, Prediction
- Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison is the co-main event of UFC 316.
- Peña is the current UFC Women’s Bantamweight champion.
- With UFC 316 odds of -650, Harrison is expected to steamroll Peña.
Is Kayla Harrison the toughest woman in the world? If she is, she needs to prove it on June 7 at Prudential Center in Newark. She needs to slam Julianna Peña and take the UFC Women’s Bantamweight belt from her.
UFC 316 odds suggest she’ll do it, but what do we think? Read this Peña vs. Harrison preview until the end to see our top pick.
How to Watch
- Where: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
- When: Saturday, June 7, 10 pm ET
- How to Watch: PPV
Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Julianna Peña | +475 |
| Kayla Harrison | -650 |
Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison Preview
Kayla Harrison is 18-1 overall and arguably the best female wrestler in women’s MMA today. She’s a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, winning in London 2012 and Rio 2016, and a former PFL champion who bagged the $1 million prize twice as a lightweight.
She’s grown a lot since then – both figuratively and literally. After starting at lightweight, she moved to featherweight, and now she’s competing in the UFC as a bantamweight.
Standing at 5’8”, she’s an inch taller than Julianna Peña, but she does give up three inches in reach. That could be an issue, especially since Peña is a dangerous boxer with solid hands.
READ ALSO: UFC 316: Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili Preview, Odds, Prediction
On the flip side, Kayla has done well against boxers. Just look at her UFC debut win over Holly Holm and you’ll see what we mean. Holm is a former pro boxer and widely regarded as one of the best strikers in women’s MMA, yet Kayla handled her without much trouble.
Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison Prediction
Julianna Peña is a two-time champ, but she’s somewhat underestimated in the world of WMMA. In each of the last three fights she won, she was the betting underdog (against Amanda Nunes in 2021, she was a +600 underdog).
Oddsmakers were wrong then, but this time around, we think they’re right to favor Peña’s opponent. Kayla Harrison is such a good fighter that we think she’s going to obliterate Peña and win the title.
Free Pick:
- Kayla Harrison in Round 1
