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Miranda Maverick recently shared her thoughts on the UFC women's bantamweight title picture and explained why Julianna Pena could be a hurdle in Kayla Harrison's way for a potential championship opportunity. Maverick also accused Pena of being a "pain" to Harrison's negotiations.
Pena is expected to challenge Raquel Pennington for the UFC women's bantamweight title at UFC 307 in October. The event will take place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Given that the fight has yet to be officially announced, many consider Harrison a more worthy contender.
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Harrison made her promotional debut at UFC 300 and announced her arrival with a high-profile win over Holly Holm. In the aftermath, the former PFL lightweight champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist made it clear she wanted a title shot sooner rather than later.
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In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Maverick weighed in on the matter and outlined why she thought Pena had been a hindrance to Harrison's title hopes. Claiming that she saw Harrison winning UFC gold eventually, she said:
"I do know news. I can't disclose too much. I think Kayla Harrison deserves the shot at the title. I think [Julianna] Pena has been kind of a pain with her negotiations - screaming for a title, and she has got enough of the clout or fame... personality to kind of get her way... She takes kind of the b*tchy route, you know? She doesn't take the high, mighty, respectful route. I think Harrison has been pretty respectful and everything. I see Harrison as holding the title eventually."
Kayla Harrison shares prediction for potential Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Pena title fight
With Raquel Pennington seemingly booked to make her first title defense against Julianna Pena in October, Kayla Harrison recently shared her prediction for the prospective title showdown.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, the two-time Olympic gold medalist weighed in on the Pennington-Pena fight and revealed that she favored the grappler more. Adding that she'd beat both of them on the same night, Harrison said:
"That’s a tough call. I tend to go with grapplers, so I think Peña pulls it out, but it’s anybody’s fight. I’d fight both of them on the same night."
Catch Kayla Harrison's comments below (4:15):
