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"And new ..." That's what Ailin Perez expects to hear in the upcoming UFC women's bantamweight title fight.
Perez, a rising contender in the division, looking to crack the top five rankings, sees Kayla Harrison dethroning champion Julianna Peña in their upcoming championship fight. Peña and Harrison are scheduled to meet in the co-main event of UFC 316 on June 7 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
"Kayla Harrison is going in there determined," Perez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. "I don't think she'll be able to finish Julianna because (Peña) is a dog, but with zero technique. Nora (Cornolle) is the same. They just look to hit hard and are good at taking shots. Kayla is dominant and can bring the fight to the ground. It is a five-round fight and Kayla struggles to make weight, and she hasn't fought five rounds, at least in UFC, so that could test her and bring up a few things. But all in all, I go with the dominant Kayla Harrison."
A few months back, Perez was skeptical Peña would take the fight with Harrison, as she claimed Peña was scared of the former two-time PFL champion. However, now that the booking is official, she's changed her tune.
"Of course it doesn't surprise me because that's what the UFC wanted," Perez said. "The UFC wants there to be activity and for the belt to be defended. The whole thing of, 'Oh, I got injured ... I don't want to fight ... I want more money' – no, girl. You want to fight, or you want to pretend you like to fight? Many of us want to be champion, so the title always needs to be scheduled for a defense. So no, I'm not surprised that fight was booked. And I also won't be surprised when Kayla Harrison beats Julianna Peña. No one believes in Julianna Peña."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ailin Perez predicts Kayla Harrison vs. Julianna Peña UFC 316
Continue reading...
Perez, a rising contender in the division, looking to crack the top five rankings, sees Kayla Harrison dethroning champion Julianna Peña in their upcoming championship fight. Peña and Harrison are scheduled to meet in the co-main event of UFC 316 on June 7 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
"Kayla Harrison is going in there determined," Perez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. "I don't think she'll be able to finish Julianna because (Peña) is a dog, but with zero technique. Nora (Cornolle) is the same. They just look to hit hard and are good at taking shots. Kayla is dominant and can bring the fight to the ground. It is a five-round fight and Kayla struggles to make weight, and she hasn't fought five rounds, at least in UFC, so that could test her and bring up a few things. But all in all, I go with the dominant Kayla Harrison."
A few months back, Perez was skeptical Peña would take the fight with Harrison, as she claimed Peña was scared of the former two-time PFL champion. However, now that the booking is official, she's changed her tune.
"Of course it doesn't surprise me because that's what the UFC wanted," Perez said. "The UFC wants there to be activity and for the belt to be defended. The whole thing of, 'Oh, I got injured ... I don't want to fight ... I want more money' – no, girl. You want to fight, or you want to pretend you like to fight? Many of us want to be champion, so the title always needs to be scheduled for a defense. So no, I'm not surprised that fight was booked. And I also won't be surprised when Kayla Harrison beats Julianna Peña. No one believes in Julianna Peña."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ailin Perez predicts Kayla Harrison vs. Julianna Peña UFC 316
Continue reading...
