By The Numbers: Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison
Long odds are nothing new for Julianna Pena.
“The Venezuelan Vixen” will defend her undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight title as a significant underdog when she faces two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison in the UFC 316 co-main event on June 7 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Pena has won three of her past four bouts. She last competed at UFC 307, where she reclaimed the 135-pound championship with a five-round split decision over Raquel Pennington on Oct. 5. Harrison, meanwhile, enters the cage on the strength of a three-fight winning streak that includes a three-round unanimous decision over Ketlen Vieira in October. She was a two-time champion in the Professional Fighters League prior to her arrival in the UFC.
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35: Years of age for Pena, who was born on Aug. 19, 1989 in Spokane, Washington.
5: Pena wins by submission, accounting for 42% of
her career total (12). Her methods of choice: three rear-naked
chokes, one armbar and one guillotine choke. Pena holds three other
wins by knockout or technical knockout (25%) and four more by
decision (33%).
1,087: Total strikes landed by Pena as a UFC women’s bantamweight, placing her sixth on the promotion’s all-time list at 135 pounds. Only Pennington (1,687), Karol Rosa (1,350), Irene Aldana (1,174), Yana Santos (1,160) and Amanda Nunes (1,099) have connected with more.
42: Rounds started by Pena as a professional mixed martial artist. She has gone the distance on six different occasions and carries a 4-2 record in those bouts.
78: Combined victories between the five opponents—Nunes, Germaine de Randamie, Valentina Shevchenko, DeAnna Bennett and Sarah Moras—who have defeated Pena. They sport a cumulative .712 winning percentage at 78-31-2.
34: Years of age for Harrison, who was born in Middletown, Ohio, on July 2, 1990.
6: Harrison victories by knockout or technical knockout, accounting for 33% of her career total (18). Her list of victims: Kaitlin Young, Genah Fabian, Mariana Morais, Courtney King, Moriel Charnesky and Jozette Cotton. Harrison owns seven other victories by submission (39%) and five more by decision (28%).
2,535: Miles between where Harrison trains at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, and Ultimate Fighting Championship headquarters in Las Vegas.
83: Seconds needed for Harrison to put away Morais with punches under the PFL banner on May 6, 2021. More than four years later, it remains her fastest finish to date.
.725: Cumulative winning percentage between the two opponents—Vieira and Holly Holm—Harrison has beaten as a member of the UFC roster. They boast a combined record of 29-11.
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