Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison title fight booked for UFC 316 in New Jersey

Kayla Harrison's long-awaited chance to fight for UFC gold is now set.Two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will challenge Julianna Peña (11-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) for the women's bantamweight championship at UFC 316 on June 7 from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

UFC CEO Dana White announced the news Tuesday on Instagram Live as part of a series of UFC 316 matchups.Peña, 35, captured the 135-pound title for the second time this past October with a controversial split decision victory over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307. She urged Amanda Nunes to come out of retirement for a trilogy bout but will not get her wish.

Instead, Harrison, 34, will get her first crack at a belt inside the octagon. After coming over from PFL in early 2024, Harrison has opened her UFC career with a submission of Holly Holm and a decision win over Ketlen Vieira.The latest lineup for UFC 316 now includes:Champ Merab Dvalishvili vs.

Sean O'Malley – for bantamweight titleChamp Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison – for women's bantamweight titleChamp Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France – for flyweight titleMario Bautista vs.

Marlon VeraShamil Gaziev vs. Serghei SpivacBruno Silva vs. Joshua VanAzamat Murzakanov vs.

Johnny WalkerFor more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 316.This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison title fight booked for UFC 316 in New Jersey.