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Tag: UFC 307

  • Carla Esparza Holds Firm On Retirement Despite Controversial UFC 307 Decision: ‘I’m Good With How I Left Things’

    Carla Esparza Holds Firm On Retirement Despite Controversial UFC 307 Decision: ‘I’m Good With How I Left Things’

    Former two-time strawweight champion Carla Esparza announced ahead of time that UFC 307 would be the final outing of her career. After losing the title to Weili Zhang at UFC 281 in November of 2022, she took a long break from her career in order to give birth to her first child.

    At the start of the month, she returned for one last dance, coming up against Tecia Pennington in Salt Lake City. Many felt that she deserved to get her hand raised following the final bell but this isn’t how the judges saw it.

    The fight was scored as a split decision in Pennington’s favor after judges Stephen Faragher and Dan Furse overruled Sal D’Amato. Faragher gave Esparza the opening round whilst Furse saw all three rounds for Pennington and the fans in Utah certainly let their thoughts on the scorecards be heard.

    Esparza obviously wouldn’t wanted to go out with a win but the controversial nature of her final bout hasn’t changed her decision to walk away at this stage. Regardless of the result, the former champion was still treated to a retirement video package from the UFC that capped off an emotional send off for her.

    In an interview with MMA Fighting looking back on how things ended, she said that though she didn’t quite get the storybook ending, it’s not something that’s going to keep her up at night.

    “It’s just hard. Even if I won in the first round via finish or lost a controversial decision, it’s hard to not want to go back no matter what the outcome was. I love fighting but that’s the last one for me regardless. I’m just glad I went out on a good note. It would have been much sweeter to go out with my hand raised but I’d say I’m good with how I left things.”

  • Raquel Pennington Calls For Rethink Into Scoring Criteria After Controversial UFC 307 Loss

    Raquel Pennington Calls For Rethink Into Scoring Criteria After Controversial UFC 307 Loss

    In the co-main event of UFC 307, Raquel Pennington narrowly lost the bantamweight title to Julianna Peña via split decision. A lot of people had “Rocky” winning the fight at the end of the fifth round, including the media scores and the commentators.

    Not to mention the fact that Pennington said the UFC had already gathered her family so they could join her in the Octagon after assuming she had won the fight before the cards were read out by Bruce Buffer.

    In the end, it was the opening round that proved to be the difference in the split verdict as Sal D’Amato and Mike Bell scored it in Peña’s favor. This is something that Pennington has had a hard time coming to terms with in the aftermath of the fight.

    She told MMA Junkie in a recent interview that she was incredibly confident that she had done enough to win the fight when the final bell went. After attempting to analyze where she lost the opening round, Pennington was left with more questions than answers.

    In her opinion, though Peña out landed her in the first stanza, her shots did far more damage which is outlined as the primary scoring criteria. Pennington told MMA Junkie that in this case, the criteria needs to be clearer and stuck to after feeling like she won the round in terms of damage.

    “I’m still really frustrated with it because for me, it’s like what are you guys really looking for, you know? And they say damaging strikes but you just said everything right there so it’s like okay, some of the scorecards said she out struck me by four strikes but what were her four strikes doing? She was shadow boxing a little bit more, she wasn’t landing actual punches so that’s where it becomes really frustrating because I feel like the lines are not clear and it just robs so many athletes of opportunities… We need to be able to distinguish exactly what’s being looked for and I mean that needs to be honoured.”

  • Julianna Peña Urges Fans To Rewatch UFC 307 Fight Without ‘Garbage’ Commentary

    Julianna Peña Urges Fans To Rewatch UFC 307 Fight Without ‘Garbage’ Commentary

    UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña believes commentary “bias” has played a part in the negative reaction to her title win earlier this month.

    Peña returned to the mountaintop at 135 pounds in the co-main event of the UFC 307 pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, outpointing longtime rival Raquel Pennington on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

    The result, which came over two years on from “The Venezuelan Vixen’s” first reign being brought to an end by Amanda Nunes, caused considerable debate.

    On MMA Decisions, 25 out of 27 media members scored the five-round contest in favor of Pennington. That sentiment was also shared by 78 percent of over 500 fan scorecards that were submitted.

    The newly crowned queen has been left bemused by the post-fight ‘robbery’ narratives, and she seemingly placed blame on the commentary team during an appearance on the debut episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned.

    Peña branded the commentary “garbage” while reiterating the reasons why she’s confident that four of the five rounds were won by her.

    “When you throw less and land more, when you’re giving the other girl a bloody nose and a goose egg on her head, when you’re taking her down, when you’re frickin’ making her eyes get as big as plates because you’re hitting her so hard and rocking her sh*t…you can’t tell me that I lost the fight,” Peña said. “I won that fight, and I’m so sick of all these people trying to like, make me feel like I didn’t win.

    “Rewatch the fight without all the commentary bias and you will see clearly that I won that fight,” Peña continued. “Obviously all of the frickin’ MMA media hates my guts. … Every single one of them scored it against me. They need to go rewatch it without all that frickin’ garbage commentary and look at the significant strikes. I threw less and I landed more and they were harder shots. Rewatch it, please!”

    Alongside the controversy regarding the scoring, the other major topic to emerge from Peña’s title win is the next step in the bantamweight division.

    While Kayla Harrison’s victory over Ketlen Vieira on the UFC 307 card has left her as the consensus number one contender, “The Venezuelan Vixen” seemingly has other plans, frequently looking to entice Amanda Nunes back to complete their trilogy instead.

  • Khalil Rountree Reacts To Jamahal Hill’s Yawn After Alex Pereira Fight

    Khalil Rountree Reacts To Jamahal Hill’s Yawn After Alex Pereira Fight

    When Khalil Rountree stepped into the main event slot at UFC 307 to face Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title, he wanted to put on a show. Of course, leaving Salt Lake City with the belt was always the number one priority but Rountree always aims to entertain.

    He was unsuccessful in dethroning “Poatan” but that didn’t stop the fight from being an entertaining watch after the challenger was able to make it competitive in the opening rounds.

    This opinion seemingly wasn’t shared by former champion Jamahal Hill who later clarified his yawning response at the end of the main event.

    Hill stated on his YouTube channel that him yawning after the UFC 307 headliner wasn’t due to the fight not being an engaging watch for the four rounds that it lasted. “Sweet Dreams” claims that his reaction was more based on him not seeing anything surprising or impressive from either competitor, hence why he was bored.

    Rountree gave his take on this in a recent interview with MMA Junkie where he stated that he’s glad that Hill gave more context to this clip. The former title challenger was originally set to face Hill at UFC 303 earlier this year but when the fight didn’t materialize, Rountree went straight to the champion instead.

    He said that after seeing the video of Hill on social media after the fight, he was slightly puzzled by his reaction but isn’t too concerned by his explanation either.

    “It’s nice to hear the clarification because based off the crowd response and everything that I’ve seen, other articles and posts that I’ve seen, majority of people seemed to think it was an entertaining fight. So I was a bit confused to see why maybe he thought it was boring or worth a yawn but like I said, the clarification definitely helps and yeah, not everyone’s going to think the same. Not everyone’s going to be entertained. It’s good, if there’s nothing to be scared of, like cool.”  

  • Julianna Peña Targets UFC International Fight Week 2025 For First Title Defense

    Julianna Peña Targets UFC International Fight Week 2025 For First Title Defense

    UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña is expecting a break from competition spanning eight to nine months before putting her newly won gold on the line.

    Peña achieved two-time titleholder status at the UFC 307 pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, Utah earlier this month, where she made the reign of longtime rival Raquel Pennington a short one.

    The pair went the full five rounds in the card’s co-headliner, with “The Venezuelan Vixen” controversially getting the nod on two of the three scorecards to be crowned queen.

    On the same card, Kayla Harrison extended her UFC record to a perfect 2-0 by outpointing Ketlen Vieira. That result appeared to signal her as first in line for a shot at Peña in her opening defense.

    But it would appear fans could be waiting some time before seeing that matchup play out inside the Octagon…

    Peña Has ‘Things To Do’ Before UFC Return, Targets Mid-2025

    During an appearance on the debut episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Peña reflected on her title-winning performance in the “Beehive State” and looked ahead to what could await her next.

    After insisting that she’s willing to face Harrison should Nunes stay on the sidelines to potentially fight the winner, the champ pointed to next summer’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas as a potential date for her return.

    “I’m not sure (when I will return). That’s something that the machine and my dogs, my agents and everything like that, we’re going to have to be going back and forth for a while and make sure this is going to be the best-case scenario for me,” Peña said. “That is a bridge that we can’t cross yet.

    “Whenever I text Hunter (Campbell), they’re like, ‘Chill, just enjoy the win, relax.’ That’s kind of what I’m getting right now,” Peña said, before outlining her desired return date. “I don’t know, I think maybe International Fight Week would be a good time. We’ll see. There are some things I need to do on my end.”

    For the time being, “The Venezuelan Vixen” will be enjoying the start of her second stint as bantamweight queen before looking ahead to her sophomore attempt at adding a successful defense to her résumé.

    And in the meantime, she doesn’t appear likely to let up in her pursuit of drawing Amanda Nunes back to complete their trilogy in 2025.

  • Mario Bautista Blames José Aldo For Grappling-Heavy UFC 307 Ending: ‘He Chose To Stay There’

    Bantamweight contender Mario Bautista believes the criticism of how his fight with José Aldo unfolded at UFC 307 should be directed at the Brazilian.

    The pair collided on the main card of this past weekend’s pay-per-view event in Salt Lake City, with Bautista looking to replace Aldo inside the top 10 at 135 pounds.

    Across three rounds, the 31-year-old achieved that feat, extending his winning run to seven and securing a rise to #9 in the rankings by falling on the right side of a split decision verdict in Utah.

    The manner with which he had his hand raised, however, caused considerable debate online, with many suggesting that his low-action grappling was over-rewarded by two judges.

    Bautista Claims Aldo Could Have Escaped Positions At UFC 307, Opted Not To

    During a recent interview on MMA Junkie Radio, Bautista reflected on his successful display in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5, which saw his record’s win column receive its biggest addition to date.

    The 31-year-old questioned the reaction to his approach in round three, insisting that any and all backlash to the way the fight concluded should be directed at Aldo.

    “I just wanted him to keep on working. I just wanted him to break out of the clinch, use that energy to get out. And then just kind of stay stuck to him. Keep him working, working,” Bautista said. “I just didn’t really think he was going to — I don’t know, I guess just stay on the wall.

    “I thought he was going to get out. … There were points where like, yeah he was defending the takedown and maybe he could have circled off, but he just chose to stay there,” Bautista continued. “Yeah, I was holding him against the cage. But at the same, I think he did have opportunities to circle off, it’s just he chose not to. … Maybe that’s his resting area. … ‘Maybe the ref will separate us and I’ll be able to get my strikes off,’ and this and that.”

    Bautista went on to say that, as a fan of the sport himself, frustration in that situation should always be toward the fighter who is unable to break the clinch and circle away.

    In addition to the portions of the fanbase giving him stick, Bautista also hit back at one specific individual on social media post-fight, taking aim at Henry Cejudo for the former champ’s negative assessment of his UFC 307 performance.

  • Khalil Rountree Reveals Post-Fight Advice From Conor McGregor

    Khalil Rountree Reveals Post-Fight Advice From Conor McGregor

    Anyone who was watching along during UFC 307 this past weekend will have noticed one thing on social media.

    Conor McGregor is well known, or “Notorious” you could say, for being very vocal about his opinions on fights and people’s performances. This was the case during the PPV card in Salt Lake City where he weighed in on several fights that place on the main card, from Kevin Holland’s injury to Mario Bautista’s controversial win.

    Like every fight fan, McGregor came away from the event with two strong feelings following an entertaining main event. He was both impressed by the performance that Alex Pereira delivered and the toughness and will displayed by Khalil Rountree.

    McGregor’s Advice

    Having posted on social media via his own X account and in comment sections underneath Instagram posts, McGregor has already made his feelings on the main event clear.

    However, he did also personally reach out to Rountree as the title challenger recently revealed during an appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast.

    The #8-ranked contender was able to surprise a lot of people by starting the first few rounds with a decent amount of success but ultimately, wasn’t able to maintain this.

    He recapped his performance with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, stating what he could have done better to push Pereira even further.

    Rountree said that one key point regarding him not pressuring “Poatan” enough was made to him by McGregor in a serious of messages that he received once UFC 307 was behind him.

    “A couple days after the fight I got some messages from Conor and it was really cool to get some messages from him, but one thing he pointed out was that I could’ve put more pressure.

    Just like you were saying, when he was going up against the cage, yeah, he has that left hook, but if I would have just been a little bit more relentless with my pressure and not backed off so much and retook the centre of the cage, I think I would’ve been able to apply a little more damage to him”

    – Khalil Roundtree
  • TJ Dillashaw ‘Not Mad’ With José Aldo Losing UFC 307 Decision: ‘Lost The Fight Himself’

    TJ Dillashaw ‘Not Mad’ With José Aldo Losing UFC 307 Decision: ‘Lost The Fight Himself’

    Former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw doesn’t have much sympathy for José Aldo after he came up short in Salt Lake City this past weekend.

    Aldo returned on the main card of the UFC 307 pay-per-view on Oct. 5, making his second appearance inside the Octagon since bringing his short-lived retirement to an end in Rio de Janeiro earlier this year.

    While the Brazilian immediately forged a path back into the rankings at 135 pounds by getting the better of Jonathan Martinez, Mario Bautista was able to spoil his plans for a late-career title shot in Utah.

    The 33-year-old fell on the right side of a split decision verdict, a result that proved controversial. Many gave the nod to Aldo after determining that Bautista didn’t do enough with his control against the cage.

    UFC CEO Dana White was among those questioning the two judges who leant the way of Bautista. One of the division’s former titleholders, however, saw no issue with the result…

    Dillashaw: Aldo ‘Kept Himself’ Against The Cage

    During a recent episode of the JAXXON PODCAST, Dillashaw reflected on the events that unfolded at UFC 307, including the main card clash in the weight class he formerly ruled over.

    Dillashaw differed from many with his take on Aldo vs. Bautista. He insisted that the ex-featherweight kingpin could have done much more to avoid granting Bautista such a long period of control in round three, which ultimately proved to be the difference.

    “It surprises me…there’s techniques like this that (Aldo) doesn’t like — get off the cage,” Dillashaw said. “The loss for him, like with the fight cards, they thought Aldo should’ve won. I don’t know. He kept himself there (against the cage). Like, I’m not too mad. He lost the fight himself.”

    It remains to be seen what comes next for Aldo, who was hoping to defend his spot inside the bantamweight top 10 in Salt Lake City before focusing on those above him.

    With his UFC 307 loss marking the first bout on a new multi-fight deal with MMA’s leading promotion, Aldo will likely look to rebound and revive his ongoing ambitions inside the Octagon soon enough.

  • Mario Bautista Blames Betting For Post-UFC 307 Backlash

    Mario Bautista Blames Betting For Post-UFC 307 Backlash

    Mario Bautista has taken a lot of criticism following the biggest win of his career at UFC 307 this past weekend.

    He knew that it was always going to be tough for him to get support from the majority of the fan base when you’re going up against a legend of the game like José Aldo. However, it wasn’t just that he defeated a beloved fighter, it was the way that the contest ended up playing out.

    Bautista was able to nullify a lot of Aldo’s striking by clinching with him against the cage and when the Brazilian seemed fine with settling there at points in the fight, this is where it stayed.

    He got his hand-raised via a controversial split decision where many believed that his opponent should have got the win after landing the more effective strikes and defending takedowns.

    Mario Bautista Believes He’s Getting Hate From The Fans For Ruining Their Bets

    In a recent interview with James Lynch for Sportskeeda, Bautista spoke about some of the intense messages that he has received from fans that are annoyed about his win. Though the conversation about the scorecards and his method of victory hasn’t helped proceedings, he also believes that there is another factor.

    Bautista said that many of the messages he has been recieving reference the fact that a lot of people lost money on this fight because they bet on Aldo and felt like he should have won. “The King of Rio” closed the fight as the underdog, meaning that he will have been a staple of many parlays, especially considering his performance earlier this year.

    “I would get hate no matter what, win or lose so and I do think that’s a big part too because I was a favorite coming into that and I know people are just going to put their money on Aldo for sure so I know people lost a lot of money, quite a bit of people it seems like. Even like in the messages and stuff, they say that. ‘You made me lose my parley,’ and this and that and they say a bunch of other stuff too but I think the main thing behind it is losing those bets.”

    Read also: Khalil Rountree Earned Anderson Silva’s Respect At UFC 307

  • Pennington Calls For Immediate Rematch After Controversial UFC 307 Defeat

    Pennington Calls For Immediate Rematch After Controversial UFC 307 Defeat

    Raquel Pennington doesn’t believe she was defeated by Julianna Pena at UFC 307, as she recently shared her thoughts in her first public statement following the title setback.

    “Rocky” was unable to hold onto her UFC bantamweight title in a razor-close battle against Pena last weekend at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. As the fight reached its midpoint, it remained closely contested, with both fighters having their moments of success. However, Pennington seemed to gain the upper hand in the final rounds, especially after rocking Peña with a devastating right hand late in the bout.

    Despite “The Venezuelan Vixen” enduring the onslaught, she managed to hold her ground, convincing two of the judges that she had done enough to reclaim the title for a second time. Both awarded her 48-47 scorecards, while the third judge saw the fight in Pennington’s favor with an identical 48-47 score.

    Pennington Demands Rematch With Pena

    In the aftermath of her defeat, Pennington took to Instagram on Tuesday to share her thoughts on the bout against Pena. “Rocky” asserted in her statement that she feels the outcome did not reflect her performance and voiced her eagerness for a rematch with Pena.

    “I’m home, and I’m health,” she wrote. “My heart hurts, but my head is high! I do not feel I lost that fight, but this is just another wild detour on this journey of mine. I will be back better than ever! I want the rematch stat! Regardless, what an amazing fight week. I was surrounded by so much love, support, and blessings. Memories that will last a lifetime. I’m full of gratitude, and I want to send a shout-out to all the people standing behind me.”

    Pennington captured the vacant title with an impressive unanimous decision win against Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC 297 earlier this January. Her recent defeat brought an end to an impressive six-fight win streak.

  • Larissa Pacheco Sticks Up For Kayla Harrison After PFL’s ‘Uncalled For’ Fight-Day Dig

    Larissa Pacheco Sticks Up For Kayla Harrison After PFL’s ‘Uncalled For’ Fight-Day Dig

    It wasn’t just those outside of the PFL that took issue with the promotion’s decision to fire shots at Kayla Harrison on the day of her second UFC fight.

    Harrison, who achieved lightweight title glory twice under the PFL banner, made the switch to MMA’s leading promotion this year, making a successful bantamweight and promotional debut at UFC 300 this past April.

    And after dispatching Holly Holm, Harrison had the chance to add more top-five opposition to her record against Ketlen Vieira at this past weekend’s UFC 307 pay-per-view.

    Harrison’s return to the Octagon was a hot topic in the lead-up to the Salt Lake City-held event. And her ex-employer looked to capitalize with a reminder of who handed the two-time Olympic gold medalist her sole defeat in MMA.

    Just hours before her fight, PFL socials posted a video detailing Harrison’s 2022 loss to Larissa Pacheco, a move many saw as an attempt to mock the now-UFC star.

    The post also came just days after PFL founder Donn Davis reiterated his disparaging remarks about Harrison’s PFL departure, accusing her of ‘running’ from a fight with Cris Cyborg and another showdown with Pacheco — whom Harrison has already defeated twice.

    As it turns out, Pacheco herself wasn’t pleased to be used as a tool with which to take away from Harrison shortly before she made the walk in Utah.

    Pacheco Tells PFL ‘You Don’t Need’ To Take Shots At Harrison

    During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Pacheco reacted to the controversial PFL post, which was widely criticized and branded “nasty” by some in the community.

    The Brazilian appeared to share the same sentiment as most, describing the move as “uncalled for.” She also encouraged her organization to focus on promoting her as its current top women’s fighter rather than putting energy into its former athletes.

    “I thought that was uncalled for, honestly,” Pacheco said. “I think (PFL) have the champion they deserve, they have a respectful champion who has defeated Kayla, so why do that? Promote me right. Let’s promote the champion. ‘Oh, but Larissa beat Kayla.’ You don’t need that. I’ve shown (my work) with other results, I’ve proven myself, so you don’t need that.

    “But anyway, that’s not on me. I have nothing to do with that. I respect Kayla. Our rivalry is over right now because she’s in another organization. Had she stayed here it would be the two of us and Cris clashing heads here, but there’s no reason to talk (about her now),” Pacheco continued. “I wish her good luck. The more she wins, the bigger my win over her gets, so I’ll always cheer for her.”

    Pacheco, the only fighter to win gold in two PFL divisions, is set to make her return in Saudi Arabia next weekend. The Brazilian will do battle with an all-time great in Cyborg, with the pair co-headlining a pay-per-view event topped by Francis Ngannou’s MMA return.

    Harrison, meanwhile, kept her ball rolling with a comfortable decision victory over Vieira at UFC 307. She’s now expected to receive her first shot at reaching the bantamweight mountaintop against newly crowned queen Julianna Peña.

  • Khalil Rountree Reveals Brutal Alex Pereira Loss Forced Him To Undergo ‘Most Painful Procedure’

    Khalil Rountree Reveals Brutal Alex Pereira Loss Forced Him To Undergo ‘Most Painful Procedure’

    The pain for UFC light heavyweight Khalil Rountree did not end with his failed title challenge in Salt Lake City this past weekend.

    Rountree received a surprise opportunity to unseat Alex Pereira from the 205-pound throne in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 307 pay-per-view, and he was on track to do so through two rounds.

    Against the odds, “The War Horse” started on top, moving two frames clear on all three scorecards. But after the tide began to turn in round three, “Poatan” increased the heat in vicious fashion once they hit the championship rounds.

    The finishing sequence in the fourth stanza made for painful viewing, and the damage suffered by the challenger was unsurprisingly not just superficial…

    Rountree On Post-UFC 307 Surgery: ‘Very, Very Uncomfortable’

    During a recent interview with Kevin Iole, Rountree reflected on his valiant performance in Utah on Oct. 5 and detailed the damage that Pereira’s fight-ending onslaught left him with.

    The 34-year-old revealed that he exited the cage at UFC 307 with a badly deviated septum, which required an incredibly painful procedure to correct days on from the defeat.

    “I don’t know what punch, but I know that last uppercut before the body shots definitely landed on my nose. But I already had felt some pain in my head,” Rountree said. “It could’ve been from that, but after we got the scans and everything the night of the fight, the doctors saw that there was some slight fracturing and a severely deviated septum. So we went right ahead and corrected that as soon as I got home.

    “Definitely the most uncomfortable, painful procedure I’ve ever had last night,” Rountree continued. “It was the hardest sleep. My mouth is constantly dry and just a constant headache. Inside my nose, my nasal cavities right now are just stuffed with sponges and splints. It’s very, very uncomfortable.”

    Nevertheless, Rountree stated that every injury and blemish is worth it in his pursuit of championship glory on MMA’s biggest stage.

    And while he didn’t reach it first time around, “The War Horse” has vowed to bounce back stronger in 2025.

  • Kayla Harrison Discloses Hospitalization Due To Infection Prior To UFC 307

    Kayla Harrison Discloses Hospitalization Due To Infection Prior To UFC 307

    Kayla Harrison recently revealed that she faced a challenging health battle, as she was hospitalized for serious infections in the lead-up to her UFC 307 fight.

    Harrison secured a significant victory against Ketlen Vieira last weekend at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, as most had anticipated, the triumph was far from straightforward for the two-time Olympic gold medalist, as “Fenomeno” tested her resilience and caused a cut on her forehead during the intense second round.

    The former PFL lightweight champion displayed her superiority against Vieira, growing stronger as the fight unfolded and eventually securing a unanimous decision win. However, this marked the first time in her MMA career that the 34-year-old Ohio native truly faced adversity inside the cage.

    It has now come to light that Harrison’s performance may have been compromised due to her hospitalization just a week before the fight…

    Harrison Shares She Was Taking Antibiotics Ahead Of UFC 307

    During a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, Harrison disclosed that she battled a serious infection that required her to take antibiotics leading up to her fight at UFC 307, which ultimately resulted in her hospitalization.

    “I don’t really like to make excuses,” Harrison said. “I had to go to the hospital last week. There was blood in my urine. I had a really bad infection that started spreading. I was on antibiotics. I had blood in my urine. There was a bunch of stuff going on, but it’s not an excuse. I have to be the best in the world on my worst day.”

    Harrison further shared that she gained valuable insights about herself and recognized aspects she can incorporate into her training for future fights.

    “Some of the decisions I made it’s going to be good for me. I ate too much I think after I weighed in. I was just so hungry; I think I overdid it. I felt kind of sick on Saturday because I ate too much. I need to do a better job of staying disciplined even after I weigh in. I need to follow the game plan. There’s a lot of stuff I can improve on.”

    Harrison has triumphed in both of her Octagon appearances and is actively campaigning for a title shot. In her promotional debut at UFC 300 this past April, she secured a unanimous decision victory in the second round against former champion Holly Holm.

  • Anthony Smith Took Pride In Rountree’s Success vs. Pereira At UFC 307

    Anthony Smith Took Pride In Rountree’s Success vs. Pereira At UFC 307

    A lot of fight fans felt that if Khalil Rountree was going to have success at UFC 307, it would need to come early.

    Alex Pereira is so efficient and effective at setting traps that the fight was always going to get tougher for him in the later rounds and this ended up being the case.

    Perhaps what many didn’t expect is how competitive the first few rounds would be before Rountree’s gas tank and the damage he was taking started to catch up to him.

    As a former opponent of Rountree’s, Anthony Smith was able to take a lot away from watching this fight play out this past weekend in Salt Lake City.

    Anthony Smith Says That Watching Khalil Rountree At UFC 307 Made Him More Positive

    Though he has recently buried the hatchet with Pereira over their previous feud, Smith still took a lot of enjoyment after seeing how well Rountree did against “Poatan”.

    The challenger’s last victory before he fought for the title was against “Lionheart” where he viciously stopped him in the third round.

    Smith was happy that his performance against Rountree clearly wasn’t a one-off after seeing how well he did against Pereira who is a whole different level in the striking.

    “To be very honest, there was a lot of me those first two rounds that felt really good watching Khalil, like f***, at least it ain’t just me.

    “I was like oh thank God. It would have really hurt my heart if Pereira had went out there and just dusted Khalil in like a round but watching him have some real serious success and land big on, you know how it is as a fighter. You kind of sit back and go, ‘S*** he didn’t land on me like that till the third round’. It was cool and it made he happy for Khalil.”

    Read also: ‘How Scary Is It?’ – Daniel Cormier Imagines ‘Amateur’ Alex Pereira With A Well-Rounded MMA Skillset

  • Khalil Rountree Delivers Motivational Speech To His Teammates

    Khalil Rountree Delivers Motivational Speech To His Teammates

    Khalil Rountree gave a good account of himself in the main event of UFC 307 despite being a sizable underdog.

    Many expected that Alex Pereira would defend his lightweight title in Salt Lake City but the feeling was that the fight would be entertaining for however long it lasted.

    In the end, the challenger made it competitive in the first three rounds but started to slow down and when he did, an incredible display of toughness kept him in there as “Poatan” looked to close the show.

    Just days after the biggest fight of his career, Rountree returned to his home base of Syndicate MMA where his coach, John Wood, used his fighter as a role model for others to follow.

    “As a coach guys, there’s not much more, obviously the best thing is always to go out and get a win and that’s what we’re always looking to do and have that success but all I ask for you guys, one way or the other, is go out and fight your a** off. Go out on your shield like this man did the other night. Shock the world, proved to a lot of people that he deserves to be there, proved to himself, proved to all of us what we already knew, that he’s one of the best in the world so congratulations.”

    Khalil Rountree Tells His Teammates That UFC 307 Setback Had Motivated Him And Should Do The Same For Them

    Rountree then gave his own speech where he reflected on the fight and his performance against one of the biggest stars in the sport.

    His interviews on fight week both before and after the contest featured a lot of talk about self belief and gratitude.

    This was still the case in the words he said days after UFC 307, telling his teammates that he wanted to thank them for their support and share the positives that he was able to take away from the defeat.

    “I’ve gone out there and like represented Syndicate. I think that like not only was I the underdog but it just shows like I’ve been training out of this place for so long and we don’t need all this crazy s***, we don’t need all these guys from all around the world. We just need us, we got enough people here on the mats to make sure that we can go and fight for a title and show who we are so yeah. I just wanted to swing by, I saw everybody’s support in the IG group so I thought let me just go say what’s up to everybody.

    “But yeah, hell of a fight. Dude was big. Dude was big, I tried to use whatever tools I can but it motivated me. I think like just to know that I went in there and put up the fight that I had but I’m not done. We’re not done here, I know Syndicate we’re gonna keep going so yeah, appreciate you guys.”

  • Chael Sonnen: Kayla Harrison Not Next In Line For UFC Title Shot Based On ‘Merit’ 

    Chael Sonnen: Kayla Harrison Not Next In Line For UFC Title Shot Based On ‘Merit’ 

    If the UFC was to favor a meritocratic route to decide the first challenger to Julianna Peña, former fighter Chael Sonnen believes Raquel Pennington would be getting an immediate rematch.

    Having not competed since being unseated by Amanda Nunes back in July 2022, Peña returned to the bantamweight throne at this past weekend’s UFC 307 pay-per-view in Salt Lake City.

    “The Venezuelan Vixen” fell on the right side of a widely debated split decision verdict in Utah, bringing a short reign for Pennington to an end in the co-main event.

    Some were pointing to the recent numbered card as a tournament for the 135-pound division, with top contenders Kayla Harrison and Ketlen Vieira meeting earlier in the night.

    The two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion emerged victorious from that clash on the scorecards, seemingly booking a first UFC title shot.

    Sonnen, however, thinks the conversation isn’t quite so clear-cut…

    Sonnen Puts Pennington Above Harrison In Meritocratic Title Shot Queue

    During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen reacted to the events that unfolded in regard to the bantamweight championship conversation at UFC 307.

    While Sonnen acknowledged that Harrison is likely to compete for the gold in her third walk to the Octagon, he suggested that wouldn’t be the case if the decision was based on “merit.”

    “When we’re having the discussion of what’s next, I think it would be responsible for us all — because if we’re just coming from a competitive nature or looking at the rankings, something like that, you lose, you don’t get Kayla. You get Raquel,” Sonnen said. “If you’re gonna just pay attention to merit and who’s done what, you don’t get Kayla vs. Peña next, you get Raquel in a rematch.

    “From the world of promotion, there is nothing on Peña vs. Pennington in a rematch. But guys, there was nothing on it three days ago when we saw it,” Sonnen continued. “We’re not in a vastly different situation. If we’re just going to go off of merit, Pennington must be considered. That’s what I’m offering for you. Pennington should be the champion of the world right now.”

    Regardless, Harrison is expecting to receive her opportunity next time out, having started life on MMA’s biggest stage with consecutive wins over top-five opposition at 135 pounds.

  • Kevin Holland Tells Troll He Feels Like A ‘Total Piece Of Sh*t’ After UFC 307 Injury Loss

    Kevin Holland Tells Troll He Feels Like A ‘Total Piece Of Sh*t’ After UFC 307 Injury Loss

    UFC middleweight Kevin Holland is understandably not pleased with the manner in which he fell to defeat in Salt Lake City this past weekend.

    Holland had an opportunity to break into the top 10 at 185 pounds at Saturday’s UFC 307 pay-per-view event in Salt Lake City. He was matched up against Roman Dolidze after returning to the weight class in style at the expense of Michał Oleksiejczuk this past June.

    While he left the Polish veteran injured after finding an armbar at UFC 302, the grappling exchanges against Dolidze saw “Trailblazer” on the receiving end of a painful night.

    After attempting to break the Georgian’s control in round one, an awkward twist on the ground resulted in Holland audibly reacting to an injury. And although he managed to see out the round before clutching his rib, the bout was waved off before the second frame.

    Holland Agrees With Abusive Internet Troll’s UFC 307 Take

    No fighter in the sport is safe from those in the MMA community who choose to unload on them in defeat, and that’s especially the case when an injury leads to a fight’s conclusion.

    Holland was evidently the recipient of such messages from trolls post-UFC 307, and he revealed an interaction with one in a recent Instagram Story.

    An attached image showed DMs from a user who berated him by branding him a “sh*t fighter.” While some would either ignore the troll or perhaps hit back, Holland went a different route.

    “Can’t have a response to everyone but yeah I feel like a total piece of sh*t,” Holland captioned his Instagram Story. “My bad to all the ones who put some bread on the line or told they friend I was gonna win. I’m a p*ssy.”

    Holland also agreed with the troll while directly responding to them.

    With the unfortunate result in Utah, “Big Mouth” has now lost three of his last four. Prior to returning to middleweight, Holland dropped back-to-back decisions opposite Jack Della Maddalena and Michael “Venom” Page.

  • Amanda Nunes Reacts To UFC 307, Peña Callout With ‘Call Me’ Plea To Dana White

    Amanda Nunes Reacts To UFC 307, Peña Callout With ‘Call Me’ Plea To Dana White

    It would appear that what went down at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City has further spurred the comeback fire underneath former two-division champion Amanda Nunes.

    Having hinted at a return from retirement earlier this year, two matchups appeared of interest to the Brazilian at this past weekend’s pay-per-view. Before her former opponents Raquel Pennington and Julianna Peña collided for the title she vacated last year, ex-teammate Kayla Harrison had her second UFC outing.

    Following the two-time Olympic gold medalist’s Octagon debut in April, Nunes questioned why she hadn’t been called out. While her name remained absent from Harrison’s lips at UFC 307, the same can’t be said for “The Venezuelan Vixen.”

    After regaining the 135-pound title in the co-main event, Peña made good on her promise to address Nunes inside the Octagon, believing her to be far from done as an active fighter.

    Whether it was that callout or Harrison’s performance earlier in the night, somebody seemingly got the Brazilian legend’s attention…

    Did UFC 307 Awaken ‘The Lioness?’ Nunes Requests Call From The Boss

    While Nunes remained silent in the immediate aftermath of Peña’s title win and subsequent callout, she emerged on social media this week with a message for UFC CEO Dana White.

    MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz, a Brazilian journalist, provided context behind her Instagram video video, noting that Nunes was singing along to “Outdoor,” a song created by Brazilian samba group Só Pra Contrariar.

    The original lyrics include, “Oh please call,” and, “I Miss you so much.” Nunes is said to have altered the lyrics to, “Call me, please.”

    If Nunes does officially commit to a return, it remains unclear whether her goal will be regaining the title, settling the score with Peña, or having a long-awaited showdown with former teammate Harrison.

    Regardless, should predictions of “The Lioness” meeting the winner of the expected Peña vs. Harrison clash come to fruition, she’ll have the chance to kill two of those birds with one stone.

  • UFC Rankings Report: Colby Covington Falls, Max Holloway Gets Lightweight Boost

    UFC Rankings Report: Colby Covington Falls, Max Holloway Gets Lightweight Boost

    As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away.

    And in the aftermath of UFC 307, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

    Men’s Pound-For-Pound: No changes.

    Women’s Pound-for-Pound: Julianna Peña’s regaining of the bantamweight title this past weekend was only enough to move her above Manon Fiorot to #4 on the P4P list, keeping her below the other two female champions in the UFC and Alexa Grasso.

    Women’s Strawweight: Tecia Pennington ensured that Carla Esparza’s career would end in defeat at UFC 307, falling on the right side of a split decision. As a result, “The Tiny Tornado” has returned to the rankings at #15, with Karolina Kowalkiewicz making way.

    Another strawweight victor in Salt Lake City was Iasmin Lucindo, who has climbed a mammoth six positions to #8 following her win over Marina Rodriguez. The defeated Brazilian has slipped three spots to #9, allowing for small boosts for both Mackenzie Dern (#6) and Amanda Ribas (#7)

    Women’s Flyweight: No changes.

    Women’s Bantamweight: After losing the gold in her first defense, Raquel Pennington has slipped back to top contender status at 125 pounds. She’s one place above Kayla Harrison, whose victory over Ketlen Vieira has seen her become the #2-ranked bantamweight contender.

    Flyweight: No changes.

    Bantamweight: The backlash toward Mario Bautista for his victorious performance over José Aldo has not prevented a rise into the top 10. The 31-year-old now sits at #9, with his defeated opponent one place worse off than he entered UFC 307 in at #11.

    Unrelated to the events of UFC 307, meanwhile, Marlon Vera (#6) has moved above former champion Henry Cejudo (#7).

    Featherweight: No changes.

    Lightweight: Weeks out from his featherweight title challenge — and months on from his lightweight triumph over Justin Gaethje — BMF titleholder Max Holloway has moved deeper into the top 10 at 155 pounds. “Blessed” has climbed two places to #8, leaving him above Mateusz Gamrot (#9) and Rafael Fiziev (#10).

    Welterweight: At 170 pounds, Colby Covington has dropped further from title contention. “Chaos” is now out of the top five and occupies #6, having surrendered his position to Sean Brady.

    Further down the pecking order, Joaquin Buckley is up two places to #9 following his late knockout of Stephen Thompson at UFC 307. “Wonderboy” is now down at #11.

    Middleweight: He may not have had his hand raised in a desired manner, but Roman Dolidze is still on the up after UFC 307. The Georgian benefitted from a rib injury suffered by Kevin Holland during a grappling exchange and has been rewarded with a one-spot rise to #9, a position he shares with Paulo Costa.

    Light Heavyweight: No changes.

    Heavyweight: No changes.

    You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

  • ‘Get In Line’ – Kamaru Usman Laughs Off Joaquin Buckley’s UFC 307 Callout

    ‘Get In Line’ – Kamaru Usman Laughs Off Joaquin Buckley’s UFC 307 Callout

    Joaquin Buckley did the unthinkable at UFC 307 by becoming only the second fighter ever to knock out Stephen Thompson. He tried to grapple the veteran striker from the get-go. but “Wonderboy” could get back to his feet quickly every time.

    Based on the official scorecards, the third round would’ve decided the winner of the fight but Buckley sealed the deal with an overhand right. Interestingly, it was similar to the overhand superman punch Anthony Pettis landed to knock out Thompson five years ago.

    “New Mansa” called out Kamaru Usman after the victory but it seems like the former champ has no intentions of entertaining that fight…

    Kamaru Usman Admits Joaquin Buckley’s Calling Him Out At UFC 307 Was Better Than The Conor McGregor Callout

    In the latest Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry podcast, Henry Cejudo asked Usman about Buckley calling him out after the impressive KO win at UFC 307. The American fighter is now 5-0 at welterweight and is clearly riding an impressive win streak.

    However, “The Nigerian Nightmare” outright laughed at the callout and asked Buckley to get in line since the latter’s not the only welterweight to call out the former kingpin recently.

    “Take a number and get in line! I believe he’s probably, what, the 10th, 11th guy? I don’t know how many guys have called me out. It is what it is. It’s obviously, like DC said, it’s a more reasonable callout for him because he is on the streak. He’s been doing good work inside there. I believe he was losing that fight and it was just a way to be relentless and find the shot, eventually, to get that finish. So, you know, hats off to him.”

    However, Usman gave Buckley his props for winning against “Wonderboy” in the best way possible. He also agreed with Daniel Cormier that this was a much more sensible callout than his last fight.

    From the looks of it, Buckley will have to yet again wait for his dream opponent. A couple more memorable wins would make him an undeniable title challenger, though.

  • VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Reacts To Former Rival Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Win

    VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Reacts To Former Rival Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Win

    Israel Adesanya watched closely as UFC 307 went down this past weekend, where a former foe of his was back in action.

    The former two-time middleweight champion is always able to offer unparalleled analysis when Alex Pereira is stepping inside the cage.

    They’ve faced each other on four occasions in various rule sets, and despite his prior losses to “Poatan,” Adesanya is the only man to beat him in the UFC.

    Via the reactions video on his YouTube channel, FREESTYLEBENDER, fans got the chance to watch “The Last Stylebender” enjoy a fun fight and devastating performance from Pereira to cap off the night.

    Israel Adesanya Reacts To Alex Pereira’s Ruthless Display At UFC 307

    Now that he’s not competing against him and they’re in different weight classes, Adesanya is able to join the ranks of all the fans that enjoy watching Pereira do what he does best.

    Throughout his reaction, he constantly drew attention to things that Pereira is doing or thinking based on his experiences of fighting and studying “Poatan.”

    Despite a strong start to the fight from the challenger, Adesanya believed that Pereira was only going to get stronger as the fight went on.

    “Round two, if ‘Poatan’ gets past this or doesn’t get knock him out, I think he’ll be fine. Khalil is better early on… I think he has to. If not, ‘Poatan’ is gonna get those leg kicks going again.”

    Adesanya also pointed out in-between rounds how well the champion is able to recover in tough fights, whispering about how he knows all too well about this.

    “He’s a f****** demon bro. I felt it.”

    The third round came to a close and the former champ made the call that Pereira was going to close out proceedings in the fourth round now that he had really found his groove in Salt Lake City.

    “I can feel it, I can feel it. Now it’s gonna be ‘Chama’ time.”

    Throughout the fourth round, Adesanya repeatedly called for Pereira to switch up his approach and target the body which he eventually did, ending the fight after a barrage of strikes that Rountree somehow withstood.

    “Good on him, he lasted longer than I thought he would but at least someone else took him to the fourth round, shows how good Khalil is.”

    Adesanya rounded out his thoughts on the fight by talking about what is in front of both Pereira and Rountree going forward.

    “He’s got some hard fights in front of him but he’s that guy right now, he’s on… honestly, that’s how I called it but I thought it was going to be early but shout to Khalil ’cause heart. Fighting with a broke nose, f***** eye and intelligence not to blow his nose in the fight, respect and his stock goes up after this, so yeah, what a moment.”

  • John McCarthy Slams Referee For ‘Destroying’ UFC 307 Fight: ‘Stop, Quit, Retire!’

    John McCarthy Slams Referee For ‘Destroying’ UFC 307 Fight: ‘Stop, Quit, Retire!’

    Former renowned MMA referee John McCarthy was among those less than impressed with the work of one official at UFC 307 this past weekend.

    Plenty of talking points emerged from Saturday’s pay-per-view event in Utah. Unfortunately, not all of them focused on the actual fighting held inside Salt Lake City’s Delta Center.

    Instead, questionable judging and outright terrible refereeing caused a heap of discourse online. The latter of those conversations was down to the work of Dave Seljestad.

    In his final assignment of the night, Seljestad was the third man inside the cage for Cesar Almeida and Ihor Potieria’s middleweight preliminary contest. It proved to be a painful bout for the Ukrainian, who was on the receiving end of a low blow and at least four eye pokes. Despite his complaints, the fouls were largely ignored by the referee.

    And — as if “The Duelist” didn’t have reason enough to feel hard done by — he was granted just seconds in dominant clinch positions before Seljestad decided to separate the fighters, much to the bemusement of the commentary team and MMA masses.

    It doesn’t take one of the most experienced refs the sport has seen to outline what Seljestad did wrong. But for those still needing an explanation…

    McCarthy On UFC 307 Ref: Congratulations, You ‘Sh*t The Bed!’

    During the latest episode of his Weighing In podcast alongside Josh Thomson, McCarthy reacted to the officiating controversy from UFC 307.

    The veteran referee did not mince his words when it came to Seljestad’s performance, accusing him of trying to make the fight about himself and urging him to give up his career as third man inside the cage.

    “I’ll tell you what, the referee absolutely destroyed this fight. It was bad,” McCarthy said. “Potieria got eye poked probably five to six times in this thing. I know the referee. He’s been around forever. He’s been reffing in Utah for over 20 years. … Look at when he’s checking the fighters and he starts doing this big swooping motion over the tape of the glove, and he makes it dramatic. You go, ‘Dude, I don’t know if you realize, this isn’t about you.’

    “He f*cking broke them off of clinches. Guy gets into a clinch on the fence, 10 seconds and he separates them. You look and you go, ‘It’s all about you isn’t it? … Congratulations, Dave Seljestad. You made a fight bad,” McCarthy continued. “You absolutely just sh*t the bed. It was horrible. You did something completely outside of what the rules for the sport are. … What are you in there for? … Stop, quit, retire! The sport has passed you by and you’re not doing your job, so you’re no good for anybody.”

    Seljestad’s lack of action regarding Almeida’s fouls and egregiously quick clinch separations caused a stir on social media, with many going as far as to brand it the worst performance from a referee in UFC history.

    Suffice to say, he may struggle to get on the officiating lineup when the promotion returns to Utah…

  • Dana White Baffled by Mario Bautista’s Strategy, Ref’ Role in UFC 307 Aldo Fight

    Dana White Baffled by Mario Bautista’s Strategy, Ref’ Role in UFC 307 Aldo Fight

    UFC 307 featured Mario Bautista getting his hand raised and securing the biggest win of his career when he got a split decision nod from the judges over Jose Aldo inside the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

    The fight had some moments, but most fans criticized the lackluster bout. In the third round, there was controversy as Bautista stalled for time when he clinched Aldo up against the fence and walked away with the win.

    Coming out of the fight, UFC President Dana White gave his thoughts on the fight and the referee’s decision to let Bautista hold Aldo against the cage for so long.

    “I always think that the referee should be more active on that, 100%, especially when somebody keeps doing it to stall,” White told the media. “You guys aren’t going to f—king let up on this, are you? I guess we’ll get into it.

    If you’re judging a guy, whether it is control, if it’s this or that, if you’re not trying to fight, how do you win the fight? Right? And if you’re looking at attempted takedowns, what about stuffing the takedowns? Just madness.”

    – Dana Whtie at the UFC 307 Post-Fight Press Conference

    Not Winning The Fight

    White continued by noting that it showed Bautista didn’t want to strike and stand with Aldo, so he used the fence. He feels that it’s the referee’s job to prevent that from happening. 

    “When they see it continually happening and that the guy is not trying to win the fight, then you keep breaking them up…I mean, it’s common sense when the guy keeps doing it and is doing everything he can to not fight and not win the fight. As a ref, you should break it up immediately.”

    – Dana Whtie at the UFC 307 Post-Fight Press Conference
  • Ankalaev’s Manager: ‘Embarrassing’ If Pereira Avoids Next Fight

    Ankalaev’s Manager: ‘Embarrassing’ If Pereira Avoids Next Fight

    Alex Pereira made it clear in his post-fight interview at UFC 307 that he has no plans to leave the light heavyweight division right now.

    “Poatan” has flirted with both moving up to heavyweight and returning to middleweight but said himself that competing at 205-pounds is a sweet spot for him right now. Though his clash with Khalil Rountree in the main event delivered an entertaining fight, many expected Magomed Ankalaev to be his opponent in Salt Lake City.

    The #2-ranked contender will instead face Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308 later this month where if he wins, there surely can be no denying him.

    Ali Abdelaziz Says Magomed Ankalaev Has To Be Next For Alex Pereira

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Ankalaev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz gave his thoughts on the current title picture at 205-pounds. He believes that Pereira’s statement on remaining at light heavyweight gives him no option but to face Ankalaev if he defeats Rakić in Abu Dhabi.

    Abdelaziz also pointed to some of his other fighters that have also had to campaign for a long time in order to get their title shots. He said that like the examples he gave, Ankalaev will make up for this long period of waiting by being champion for a significant period of time.

    “It would be embarrassing if he did this. He clearly said he’s not running, it would be clearly running but listen, let’s see what happens. Ankalaev needs to focus on Rakić but if I’m a champion and I believe I’m the best in the world, I’m going to fight anybody and listen, remember Islam Makhachev take him a long time to get there but when he’s there, he’s there for a long time.

    Khabib, Kamaru, these guys wait for a long time to become a champion, they hang around for a while and I believe this is going to be the deal for Ankalaev.” 

    Read also: Khalil Rountree Reflects On Brutal Loss To Alex Pereira At UFC 307: ‘Didn’t Win The Title But I Grew’ 

  • PFL Founder Touts Superior Women’s Division After UFC 307 Harrison, Peña Wins

    PFL Founder Touts Superior Women’s Division After UFC 307 Harrison, Peña Wins

    UFC 307 was a big night for the women’s bantamweight division due to two match-ups that took place right at the top of the rankings.

    Julianna Peña was able to reclaim the 135-pound title by defeating Raquel Pennington via split decision in the co-main event.

    Earlier on in the night, Kayla Harrison cemented her status as the next in line by defeating Ketlen Vieira via a unanimous decision.

    Harrison’s return to the Octagon wasn’t without comment from her former home, the PFL, who received some criticism for posting about her loss to Larissa Pacheco on the same evening.

    The use of Harrison’s time spent in the PFL didn’t stop being talking point there after the promotion’s founder commented once again on the day after UFC 307.

    Donn Davis Says PFL’s Women’s Division Would ‘Crush’ The UFC’s, Lays Down A Challenge To Prove It

    In a post on X, PFL founder Donn Davis made a statement that was followed by a challenge to the UFC regarding the strength of their female roster.

    He took Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco, who are set to face off on October 19, and put them up against the champion and top contender in the UFC’s 135-pound division.

    Davis makes it clear that he would back Cyborg and Pacheco over Peña and Harrison and even offers to put money on it.

    Following Dana White’s harsh comments regarding the success of the PFL in his post-UFC 307 press conference, Davis wrote “#DanaScared” underneath the post.

    “It is clear from UFC 306 that @PFLMMA female division would crush @UFC. I am so confident… winner take all. PFL: Cyborg + Pacheco. UFC: Harrison + Peña. $2m to each fighter… losing company pays $8m total fighter purses”

    Read also: Kayla Harrison On Being Bloodied For The First Time At UFC 307: ‘That Threw Me…’