Julianna Pena had questions about Kayla Harrison long before they ever stepped into the Octagon. Ahead of their women’s bantamweight title clash at UFC 316, ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ had accused Harrison of using steroids. Despite Harrison never having failed a test, Pena still didn’t shy away from tossing out the claims.

Enter Harrison’s long-time coach from American Top Team, Mike Brown, who fired back with, “No, she is 100 percent a clean athlete. Always has been, always will be. Doesn’t need it. She’s a freak among freaks.” But how strong was Harrison inside the Octagon at UFC 316? Well, Pena has finally broken her silence with a surprising answer!

Julianna Pena claims Kayla Harrison’s strength doesn’t measure up to Amanda Nunes’

At UFC 316, Kayla Harrison dominated Julianna Pena from the opening bell. She muscled her to the ground in Round 1 and then submitted her with a brutal kimura in the final seconds of Round 2. Still undefeated in the UFC, Harrison walked away with the bantamweight title and called Amanda Nunes into the cage, setting up a showdown that could shake women’s MMA.

But despite the loss, Pena isn’t backing down from her view on Harrison’s actual in-cage strength. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Peña pushed back against the idea that Harrison felt overwhelming as she confessed, “Honestly, no. I felt her strength, and it wasn’t some, like, oh my gosh. Like, Amanda two. Amanda one, not… strong okay? Strong, but not the strongest that I felt.”

Pena then made a direct comparison to Amanda Nunes as she further shared, “Amanda two, was like another level of strength, and she did not feel, stronger than that. So, it was just her technique with her takedowns are just, you know, so much better than a lot of the women that I have faced.”

For context, Pena knows the Amanda Nunes challenge well. She submitted ‘The Lioness’ in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history at UFC 269, only to lose their rematch at UFC 277 by unanimous decision. She’s felt “Amanda one” and “Amanda two”, as she puts it, and she doesn’t think Kayla Harrison reached that same level of power.

But that’s not to say Harrison didn’t impress. Pena admitted what truly set Harrison apart was her technique and claimed that if she had just not “gone for that move”, she could have survived the onslaught.  Still, the former champion made it clear Harrison wasn’t some mythic force as she stated, “So, to answer your question, no, it didn’t feel like that in the clinch that she was just, you know, some Hercules that I’ve never felt before.”

This wasn’t the brute strength of someone using PEDs to enhance their physical attributes to superhuman levels. This was the fine-tuned control of a world-class grappler with two Olympic gold medals and now, a women’s bantamweight crown to go along with it. And so, with Julianna Pena‘s second title reign once again ending without a successful defense, and Harrison on a collision course with Amanda Nunes, a former champion has come out with some words of advice for ‘The Lioness’!

Nunes advised to take a “warm-up fight” before facing Harrison by ‘Rampage’

Amanda Nunes may be considered the GOAT of female MMA, but even the greatest warriors can find themselves dealing with ring rust. It’s been two years since Nunes last stepped into the Octagon. Now, she’s preparing for a thunderous return, against none other than her former teammate and new bantamweight champion, Kayla Harrison.

But not everyone is convinced the timing is right. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson recently shared his thoughts on The Jaxxon Podcast, and his advice was clear, “I would like to see Nunes do like a warm-up fight. But, I know UFC don’t believe in warm-up fights.”

He’s not wrong. The UFC has never been fond of easing fighters back in. But Rampage has a point: ring rust is real, especially when you’re coming back to face a two-time Olympic gold medalist with momentum on her side. Former bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw was quick to jump in, reminding everyone of who Nunes is. “She’s the greatest woman fighter of all time though,” he said, backing ‘The Lioness’ to be ready no matter the break.

Still, ‘Rampage’ didn’t back down as he replied, “Still, she’s human.” Add in the six-month delay due to Nunes needing to re-enter the testing pool, and the clock keeps ticking.

In conclusion, Julianna Pena’s comments may have downplayed Harrison’s raw power, but they also highlighted something more dangerous, a refined technique paired with a relentless pace. And as Nunes watches from the sidelines, the question isn’t just whether she’s still the GOAT. It’s whether time away from the UFC’s jungle has dulled the claws of ‘The Lioness’! What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!