Two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison made her dreams come true at UFC 316 this past weekend (Sat., June 7, 2025) by submitting former two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight champion Julianna Pena in the second round with a vicious kimura to win the 135 lb strap inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey (watch highlights).
The former PFL champion did not stick around “The Garden State” very long as she had to get back to Coconut Creek, Florida, and bring her new title back to her long-time gym, the legendary American Top Team.
She did just that. Watch the video below:
Harrison was greeted by all of her teammates, including names like Alexandre Pantoja, Dustin Poirier, Dakota Ditcheva, and Johnny Eblen.
Obviously, her former long-time teammate, Amanda Nunes, was absent (details here).
Her portrait was already displayed on the gym wall for her previous championships, which she secured in her previous organizations, but now a UFC portrait will take on a different significance.
Plus, the win for Harrison is even more special given the time, effort, and tears that it took for her to get down to 135 lbs instead of the 136 lb limit of her previous two fights.
Some photos have leaked, showing the severity of her weight cut.
Harrison remains perfect inside the octagon at 3-0 with two submission wins and now has an epic superfight with Nunes on the horizon.
For complete UFC 316 results and play-by-play click here.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
