"RIP Pena" - Fans react to Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison title fight being confirmed for UFC 316 

UFC CEO Dana White has officially announced that Julianna Peña will defend her women’s bantamweight title against Kayla Harrison at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, on June 7. The fight, set as the co-main event, marks Peña’s first title defense since reclaiming the belt last Oct.

Peña made history in 2021 by submitting Amanda Nunes in one of the sport’s biggest upsets. After losing the belt in a rematch, she regained it with a gritty split-decision win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307. Now, she faces Harrison, an undefeated two-time Olympic judo gold medalist and former PFL champion who has stormed through the UFC’s bantamweight division.

Harrison has quickly established herself as a dominant force since joining the UFC in 2024. She submitted Holly Holm in her promotional debut at UFC 300 and followed it with a dominant win over Ketlen Vieira.

Following the fight announcement, fans flooded social media with reactions. One fan posted:

“RIP Peña 🪦”

While another wrote:

“Kayla is going to demolish her 😂.”

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to UFC 316 co-main event announcement. [Screenshot courtesy: X]

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UFC 316 headliner fight announced

The UFC has just unveiled the main event for UFC 316, with bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili set to face UFC superstar Sean O’Malley in a highly anticipated rematch. At UFC 306, Dvalishvili earned a five-round unanimous decision victory to dethrone O’Malley and capture the title.

In his latest title defense in January, Dvalishvili rallied from early setbacks against Umar Nurmagomedov, showcasing exceptional cardio and relentless work rate to secure a comeback victory.

Now, the 34-year-old champion is determined to extend his 12-fight winning streak and solidify his legacy. Meanwhile, O’Malley, who has not returned to the octagon since his loss in Sept, is eager to reclaim his title belt.