“She’s Gonna Have to Pay for It”: Julianna Pena Accuses Kayla Harrison of Ducking Cris Cyborg in Chilling Warning

Did Kayla Harrison sidestep the most anticipated women’s super-fight outside the UFC? That’s the accusation Julianna Peña has reignited, and she’s not holding back. Their war of words dates back to 2021, when Harrison was with PFL and Bellator. She boldly stated then, “I would love to fight her. I have a lot of respect for her, but I fear no one.” Fans were hyped, but the clash never happened. Before a single punch could be thrown, Harrison made her move to the UFC, effectively killing the dream matchup. That decision didn’t sit well with Julianna Pena, who accused Harrison of ducking Cyborg during the UFC 316 press conference. So far, Harrison hasn’t doubled down on her callout—and the silence speaks volumes.

While conversing with Ariel Helwani, women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña doubled down on her statement, attacking Kayla Harrison for ducking Cris Cyborg in her PFL days. Taking shots at her opponent, Peña stated, “‘I don’t want to be famous. I don’t want to be this famous person bull.’ Because if you didn’t, then you would have never come over to the UFC. You would have never tried to jump the line in front of all these other girls that have been putting in 10 years in this division to try to fight for a title. So I don’t want to hear this ‘Oh, I don’t care about being famous, I don’t care about people knowing my name.’”

She continued, sharpening her claim, “Of course you do . Of course you do, because if you didn’t, you would have taken the million dollars and you would have fought Cris Cyborg if you were truly the best of the best. But she didn’t want to do that. She didn’t want to prove herself against Cris, and that’s why she came running to the UFC. And now she’s gonna have to pay for it—in her body—by having to make this weight.”

Peña’s criticism didn’t stop there. At the UFC 316 press conference, she again brought up the failed Harrison-Cyborg bout. She said,“She was running from Cris Cyborg. Everybody knows that.” She also accused the two-time Olympic gold medalist of cutting the line in the bantamweight division by using her media draw, implying that Harrison’s UFC debut was more marketing than merit.

To Harrison’s credit, she did express a willingness to fight Cyborg during her PFL run. After defeating Aspen Ladd in November 2023, she took to the mic and said,“PFL just acquired Bellator. I heard there’s a girl in Bellator who thinks she’s a bad b—-. Why don’t we find out?”

Both fighters appeared ready, but behind-the-scenes negotiations fizzled, and Harrison chose to sign with the UFC. The move closed the door, at least temporarily, on what many fans considered a legacy-defining fight.

The failed Cyborg matchup now draws comparisons to Ronda Rousey vs. Cyborg—another dream bout that collapsed due to timing, contracts, and weight-class differences. Hardcore fans are left wondering: What if?

 Julianna Peña questions Kayla Harrison’s clean image

Adding fuel to the fire, Peña accused Harrison of using PEDs—without offering direct evidence. Her claims centered around Harrison’s size and physical dominance.

With a career record of 18 victories and only 1 defeat, Kayla Harrison is arguably one of the best female fighters in combat sports. Her expertise in judo has helped her dominate her opponents; however, what has truly set her apart is her immense size, one that could put some professional male fighters to shame. Peña believes this is all due to her alleged use of PEDs.

During her conversation with Ariel Helwani, Pena accused Harrison of using Ster—-, “I wouldn’t know how to navigate that, because at this point, this drug testing is like the wild wild west. It’s like pee in a plastic cup that has absolutely no security on it, and do what you gotta do. Even in the Olympics with the Russians being able to tamper with those USADA unbreakable type of bottles, and being able to switch the pees in them. Eventually, everything you do in the dark comes to the light.” 

Does Pena have any proof? Certainly not, but according to the UFC anti-doping online test history, Harrison has been tested twice thus far in 2025, following 13 tests in 2024 without issue. Despite this, Pena is unsure about the authenticity of it. Well, banters between opponents are common in the realm of combat sport, and these statements by the women’s bantamweight champion should be taken with a pinch of salt. Given that, what are your thoughts on the hubbub? State your opinion in the comments below.